Southampton centre back Lyanco has joined Qatari side Al-Gharafa on loan for the remainder of the season.
The club confirmed the move on their club website, after he was pictured yesterday in Qatar.
The Brazilian has only featured once so far this season for the Saints, starting in thor 3-1 defeat away at Gillingham in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
The 26-year-old joined Southampton in the summer of 2021, from Torino for a fee believed to be around €7.5 million.
He has gone on to make 49 appearances in total for the Saints so far, featuring 21 times last season as they finished bottom of the Premier League. He scored one goal, a header in a 4-3 defeat away to Nottingham Forest.
He came through the youth systems in his native Brazil at Botafogo and São Paulo, before moving to Torino in 2017. He also spent the second half of the 18/19 season on loan at Bologna.
With Lyanco gone, what is the situation at centre back for the Saints?
This temporary departure does not leave Saints light at the centre of their back line.
As it stands, they’re centre back options stand as Jack Stephens, Jan Bednarek, Mason Holgate, who signed from Everton last week, and Armel Bella-Kotchap, although he is set to leave with interest from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
They also have options from their B team like Dynel Simeu and Zach Awe. Simeu spent last season out on loan at Tranmere and Morecambe, and Awe has joined up this summer after his release from Arsenal.
Whilst they have options, this doesn’t mean they won’t buy another centre back, with manager Russell Martin seemingly after Swansea centre back Nathan Wood, whom he worked with at the Swans last season.