Brest’s Lilian Brassier: ‘My departure isn’t a given.’

Stade Brestois have surpassed all expectations this season. Having been tipped for relegation, they are now one of the favourites to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season. Individual performances, as well as a strong collective, have contributed to Les Ty Zéfs’ success. Naturally, ‘bigger’ clubs are circling some of Brest’s brightest prospects and that certainly includes Lilian Brassier (24).

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Get French Football News in February, Brest sporting director Grégory Lorenzi revealed that there had been considerable interest in Brassier.“Lilian is one of the players that was sought after in the window. Many big clubs were interested in his profile, but Lilian never showed a desire to leave the club in that period. He would of course have left if there was an agreement that pleased all parties, but that wasn’t the case at all. Today, he is very calm and that hasn’t disrupted him or us at all,” he told us. 

AS Monaco, AC Milan and Porto are thought to have been among the clubs interested. Even should Brest secure Champions League football, those suitors may return to the negotiating table, however, Brassier has told L’Équipe that it isn’t a given that he will leave the Breton club.

“My ambition is to play in the biggest competitions, to win trophies because that’s what remains. I forged myself at Brest. I have one year left on my contract; my departure is not a given. I’m setting myself short-term objectives. I saw myself finishing the season at Brest because we’re experiencing something big. It was crucial for me to continue the adventure. I had not yet shown everything that I could during the season,” the French centre-back told L’Équipe.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle