When Gala announced the loan transfer of Jason Denayer from Manchester City, the fans didn’t have too much expectation from the young Belgian.

The young, quick and powerful defender had spent the previous season at Celtic, as the defensive partner of Virgil van Dijk.

It was Gala’s worst season of the decade, with the red and yellow team finishing the league 6^th however Denayer did shine.

His performance, and interest from other clubs bumped up his transfer fee to 7 million pounds which Gala couldn’t afford. He was loaned out to Sunderland.

At Sunderland he was played out of position – in the midfield. He didn’t have a great season and it left a lasting impression on British fans.

Footage of Denayer kicking another man in the face, on the street, after a night out in Brussels didn’t help his image either. His poor form in the Premier League also saw him lose his spot in the Belgian national team.

He had another loan spell at Gala however Lyon eventually signed him.

His Lyon days were impressive.

He was part of the Lyon team that beat Manchester City to qualify for the Champions League semi-final in 2020. During his time in France,  he’s made 139 appearances.

After two successful years at the French giants, Denayer ended up missing most of his last season due to an ankle injury. He didn’t want to extend his contract without a raise, and Lyon didn’t offer him an extension.

He was linked with moves to Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Trabzonspor, Fiorentina, and Valencia, but he ended up joining the Dubai side Shabah Al Ahli instead

Still only 27 and boasting over 30 international caps but has taken a decision many would leave until a later stage in the career, leaving top-tier European football in favour of bagging a money-spinning move to the United Arab Emirates. 

Another one bites the dust.