United States women’s national team midfielder Lindsey Horan is joining Lyon on loan from Portland Thorns FC, multiple sources confirmed. The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio first reported the news on Thursday. The loan will last 12 months, The Equalizer confirmed.
There have been ongoing conversations regarding the loan for the better part of a year, and the possibility of it was discussed with Thorns management when Horan signed with the Thorns in early 2021, multiple sources told The Equalizer. Multiple French media outlets reported on the impending move last summer following comments made by OL Groupe president Jean Michel-Aulas about the January arrival of a U.S. player. Since then, the teams have worked on hammering out details such as the length of the loan.
Horan’s absence from Portland for the entirety of 2022 will be mitigated by the arrival of 24-year-old Japan international Hina Sugita, who the Thorns signed to a three-year deal this week after paying a transfer fee to INAC Kobe Leonessa. Portland pursued Sugita for several years, and finally landed the midfielder in this transfer window, armed with the knowledge of the impending loan of Horan to Lyon.
Horan, and Portland teammate Crystal Dunn, were among the first U.S. players to opt out of U.S. federation contracts for the National Women’s Soccer League and sign directly with their club teams. At the time, their $100,000-plus deals were among the highest in the league. Since then, the U.S. federation system for the NWSL has been abolished, meaning all players now sign NWSL contracts.
Horan started her professional career in France with Paris Saint-Germain, signing directly out of high school in 2012 and skipping college after previously committing to North Carolina. She played at PSG until 2016, when she joined Portland in a bid to boost her opportunities with the U.S. national team ahead of the Rio Olympics. Horan now has over 100 caps with the U.S. and was an important part of the midfield in the team’s 2019 World Cup triumph.
At Lyon, Horan will join U.S. teammate Catarina Macario.
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