Last season, Lille managed to pull of the impossible and beat Paris Saint-Germain to the league title. Although they haven’t had the best season this time around, they have been able to progress to the Round of 16 in the Champions League.
Over the years, the club has brought some brilliant players to the forefront, and in this article, we take a look at the best of them.
Best XI players sold by Lille
GK – Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Maignan was one of the key players in Lille’s squad to help them win the title. He was sold to AC Milan in the summer, as a replacement for Gianluigi Donnarumma, who made the move to Ligue 1 to join PSG.
RB – Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
Pavard has become one of France’s first choice right-backs since leaving Lille, earning 42 caps and a World Cup winners medal. Now playing for Bayern Munich, his career has progressed in an upward trajectory over the years.
CB – Simon Kjaer (AC Milan)
Kjaer featured for Lille between 2013 and 2015. He now plays for AC Milan, having made the move from Sevilla. The Danish centre-back is currently out due to injury, and was playing the best football of his career before being sidelined.
CB – Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
Gabriel is being tipped to become one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. He was signed for £27 million, and is already a mainstay under Mikel Arteta.
LB – Lucas Digne (Aston Villa)
Lucas Digne is among the best left-backs in the Premier League right now. He is currently playing for Aston Villa, under Steven Gerrard, but came through the academy at Lille before joining PSG in 2013.
RM – Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal)
Pepe is Arsenal’s most expensive signing of all-time, and has failed to establish himself during his time at the Emirates. He was at his best with Ivory Coast during the 2021 AFCON, which proves that he still has all the quality needed.
CM – Yves Bissouma (Brighton)
Bissouma has been making waves in the Premier League recently. The Brighton midfielder is attracting strong interest from some of the top clubs in the world right now, due to his performances.
CM – Idrissa Gana Gueye (Paris Saint-Germain)
Despite being 32 years old, Gueye is as reliable as ever. He played in the Premier League for Aston Villa and Everton, after five years with Lille. And now, he is back in Ligue 1, featuring for PSG.
LM – Eden Hazard (Real Madrid)
Eden Hazard is arguably the best to ever play for Lille. He helped the club win the league title in 2010/11 before making a move to Chelsea. The Belgian is a club legend at Stamford Bridge, and is now at Real Madrid, where things just haven’t worked out for him.
ST – Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
The Nigerian striker is making a name for himself in Serie A with Napoli. After achieving a slow start to life in Naples, the former Lille striker has finally got things going in his favour.
ST – Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
The skilled and pacey forward spent a year at Lille before making the move to the Rossoneri. He is now among the most exciting players in red and black, and shows huge potential to develop further.
