Matthieu Udol remains a Lens player after the French club reportedly blocked an exit for one of their busiest performers from last season. Aston Villa, Sunderland and AC Milan all were reportedly interested in signing him during the summer, but Lens held their ground.
- Lens have reportedly kept Udol in place despite summer interest from Aston Villa, Sunderland and AC Milan.
- Udol made 34 Ligue 1 appearances, including 33 starts, registering 3,002 minutes, one goal and seven assists during the 2025 league season.
- Aston Villa could have viewed the 30-year-old left-sided defender as part of their planning around Lucas Digne, while Lens gain continuity by holding firm.
Matthieu Udol’s Current Situation at Lens
Matthieu Udol is still on the books at Lens and appears to have become an integral part of the squad since arriving from Metz in the summer of 2025. His league workload underlines that role: 34 Ligue 1 appearances, 33 starts, 3,002 minutes, one goal and seven assists across the 2025 campaign.
Lens also appear to have had little reason to rush into a sale. The 30-year-old French left-back is understood to be under contract until June 2028, leaving the club in a strong position to resist outside interest while keeping a settled option on the left flank.
Interest From Aston Villa, Sunderland and AC Milan
Aston Villa provide the clearest secondary angle in this story, with Udol reportedly considered as part of the Premier League club’s left-back planning around Lucas Digne. It helps explain why Villa could have explored a move before the transfer window closed.
Sunderland and AC Milan also appear to have made their own attempts to bring Udol in over the summer. Their involvement adds weight to the idea that Lens were dealing with genuine market interest, even if none of those approaches resulted in a departure.
Lens’s Plans and Udol’s Future
Lens’s decision to keep Udol makes sense in the context of a squad that has already changed significantly this summer. Mamadou Sangaré, Malang Sarr, Allan Saint-Maximin, Wesley Saïd, Adrien Thomasson and Angelo Fulgini were all understood to be among the departures, so retaining a regular starter on the left offers some much-needed continuity.
The club also reportedly looked for a centre-back to replace Maik Nawrocki, which only adds to the sense that Lens did not want another senior defensive change before the window shut. Interest from elsewhere could easily return in a future transfer window.
