AC Milan has officially reached an agreement to loan defender Zachary Athekame to the Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais for the 2026-27 season. The arrangement is a dry loan, meaning there is no option included for the French side to make the transfer permanent. Under the terms of the deal, Olympique Lyonnais will be responsible for covering the player's full salary for the duration of the campaign, after which he is scheduled to return to the San Siro in the summer of 2027.
The move follows reports that Athekame was identified as a player to be removed from the squad following a challenging pre-season under new AC Milan coach Ruben Amorim. The Swiss international, who is currently under contract with the Rossoneri until June 2030, has struggled to establish himself since arriving in Italy. He was signed just one year ago from Young Boys for a fee of €10 million plus additional performance-based bonuses.
He made 29 competitive appearances, providing two goals against Pisa and Genoa, plus two assists for his teammates.
