Olympique Lyonnais have signed left-footed midfielder Romain Faivre (until 2026) - a revelation last season and the owner of seven goals and four assists in the current campaign - from Stade Brestois 29. Faivre found the net in his first match against Lyon in Ligue 1 Uber Eats (2-2, December 2020), but now he will be turning out for Les Gones as they look to gain in quality and consistency in the second half of the season.

Twenty-odd years ago recruiting from the French footballing élite saw OL build the team that won the Ligue 1 Uber Eats title in 2001-02, the first of a record seven-straight French titles that saw them dominate the first decade of the new millennium.

In the last few years, OL have relied more on players from other leagues - Damien Da Silva being the exception last summer - but they have a rich history of recruiting from other top-flight clubs, just as they have with France U-21 international Faivre who has made 58 appearances (13 goals and nine assists) in Ligue 1 Uber Eats.

During the first few seasons of Jean-Michel Aulas's presidency, OL certainly relied on talent from abroad, notably Eugène Kabongo (Anderlecht), Claudio Garcia (Velez) and Mick McCarthy (Celtic) from 1987 to 1989. But the main recruits came from France, as well as Roberto Cabanas (SB29 in 90-91), Aziz Bouderbala (RCP in 90-91), Franck Gava (ASNL, 92-93), Eric Roy (Toulon, 93-94) and the trio of Marseille players Olmeta-Amoros and Abedi Pelé in 1993-94 or even Alain Caveglia (HAC, 96-97) and Christophe Cocard (AJA, 96-97).

Ligue 1 Uber Eats: a breeding ground for OL

Similarly, the backbone of Lyon's first Ligue 1 Uber Eats champion side in 2001-02 was recruited from the French league: Grégory Coupet (ASSE) in 1997, Violeau (AJA), Delmotte (RCL), Patrice Carteron (ASSE) in 1997-98, Vikash Dhorasoo (HAC) in 98-99, Tony Vairelles (RCL) in 99-00, Jean-Marc Chanelet (FCN) and Steve Marlet (AJA) the following season and then Eric Carrière (FCN), Peguy Luyindula (RCSA) and Frédéric Née (SCB) in the season of Lyon's first title.

An effective strategy that OL perpetuated during its seven-year tenure at the top of Ligue 1 Uber Eats, recruiting Michael Essien from SC Bastia, Florent Malouda from EAG and Anthony Reveillère from Stade Rennais (03-04), then the following season Eric Abidal from LOSC and Pierre-Alain Frau from Sochaux.

While managing to recruit from other leagues, Lyon still attracted many talented players from the elite, such as Sébastien Squillaci (AS Monaco), Jérémy Toulalan (FC Nantes), Alou Diarra (RC Lens) and Kim Källstrom (Stade Rennais) in 2006-07. A year later, it was the turn of the Messina starlet Miralem Pjanic to strengthen OL, along with Kader Keita and Mathieu Bodmer (LOSC), all of whom were crowned champions in 2007-2008: the seventh and final consecutive title.

In 2008-2009, OL again chose to recruit from Ligue 1, bringing in Hugo Lloris and Ederson from Nice, but also Jean II Makoun from Lille (LOSC), John Mensah from SRFC and Frédéric Piquionne from RCL.

In the years to follow, Michel Bastos (LOSC) and Bafé Gomis (ASSE) in 2009-10, Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux) and Jimmy Briand (SRFC) in 10-11, Maxwel Cornet (Metz) and Christophe Jallet (PSG) in 14-15, Lucas Tousart (VAFC, 15-16), Martin Terrier (LOSC, 17-18), Ferland Mendy (HAC, 17-18), Tanguy Ndombele (ASC, 18-19), Léo Dubois (FCN, 18-19), Reine-Adélaïde (SCO, 19-20), Thiago Mendes (LOSC, 19-20) and Tino Kadewere (HAC, 19-20) were the main players recruited in France by Les Gones.

With Romain Faivre (23), who has played for Tours FC, AS Monaco and Stade Brestois 29, Olympique Lyonnais have once again taken a chance on a talent from Ligue 1 Uber Eats.