loan

Even those who do not follow French football in its most granular detail will be aware of the plight that could have befallen Lyon this summer.

Spared from administrative relegation to Ligue 2 just five and a half weeks before the start of the season, the club’s future in the French top flight hinged on their capacity to fulfil financial promises.

A firesale of the side’s most valuable assets duly ensued, and with it, expectations of a third successive season of European football dwindled.

Constrained by their financial frailties, Les Gones, spearheaded by sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean, had to work diligently, embarking on an agile recruitment drive.

Spotting talent from lesser-known European leagues became a central tenet of their philosophy.

“We worked on different markets,” outlined the former Nottingham Forest right-back in September.

Amid a flurry of moves, Pavel Sulc and Ruben Kluivert arrived on permanent deals from Viktoria Plzen and Casa Pia respectively, while Adam Karabec joined from Sparta Prague on loan.

Louis-Jean has cultivated a burgeoning reputation as a strategic operator, but his most innovative market manoeuvre would have to wait until the winter window.

Having deviated from their reactive tendencies of the past, Lyon were left without a central striker of note, preferring to secure the temporary services of Martin Satriano on loan.

“We took a decision on the final day of the transfer window to leave the position of a first-choice striker open,” said general director Michael Gerlinger.

Louis-Jean, and Lyon’s wider recruitment department, were convinced an opportunity would present itself in January. Their intuition soon morphed into prophecy.

Having amassed just 99 minutes of action for Real Madrid during the first half of the season, Brazil striker Endrick needed an escape. Lyon were more than happy to provide sanctuary for a player and talisman they desperately craved.

“We had been waiting for a number nine for so long,” said Louis-Jean upon the 19-year-old’s unveiling after joining on loan until the end of the season.

Feb. 4 (Asia Today) — Kakao Bank posted record earnings last year as growth in non-interest income offset pressure on lending revenue caused by tighter household loan regulations, the company said Tuesday.

The internet-only bank said net profit for 2025 reached 480.3 billion won ($348.6 million), up 9.1% from a year earlier. Fourth-quarter net profit rose 24.5% year over year to 105.2 billion won ($76.3 million), marking the first time quarterly earnings topped 100 billion won.

The results exceeded market expectations despite stricter government oversight of household lending in the second half of the year, which forced Kakao Bank to cut its loan growth target by half.

Interest income, still the bank’s largest revenue source, fell under regulatory pressure. Loan interest income declined 2.9% to 1.99 trillion won ($1.45 billion) from 2.05 trillion won ($1.49 billion) in 2024.

By contrast, non-interest income – including fees, platform revenue and fund management gains – jumped 22.5% to 1.08 trillion won ($790.6 million), surpassing 1 trillion won for the first time. Non-interest income accounted for 35.3% of total operating income, up about 5 percentage points from a year earlier.

Fund management performance was a major contributor. Kakao Bank said profits from the segment climbed about 28% to 670.8 billion won ($487.2 million), aided by expanded bond purchases in a high-interest-rate environment and a more diversified investment strategy.

Fee and platform revenue also continued to rise. Despite lower merchant fees for check cards, advertising revenue and loan comparison service income increased 54% and 37%, respectively. Total fee and platform revenue reached 310.5 billion won ($225.5 million), up 2.9% from a year earlier.

Looking ahead, Kakao Bank said it plans to further strengthen non-interest income this year by expanding products and services and by seeking growth opportunities in global and artificial intelligence-related businesses. The bank also signaled interest in mergers and acquisitions involving payment and capital companies to broaden its business scope into areas such as infrastructure and equipment finance.

An industry source said sustaining growth in non-interest income will be critical as lending expansion remains constrained, adding that the success of new business lines will play a key role in shaping future performance.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260205010001717

But Celtic manager Martin O’Neill was attracted to his “experience of high-level football”.

“He has also been involved in European competition, so we are bringing in a talented, experienced, international forward to really enhance our attacking options,” he told Celtic’s website.

Adamu is eyeing a league and Scottish Cup double while scoring “a lot of goals” and wants “to improve as a player”.

Asked what kind of player Celtic fans will see in action, he added: “I’m dangerous in the box and hungry for goals. That’s what the manager sees in me and I want to show that on the pitch.”

The announcement of 22-year-old Mvuka’s signing came eight minutes after the closure of the January transfer window.

However, the Norwegian is no stranger to the Scottish champions, having played against them in the Conference League in 2022 for Bodo/Glimt, where he was a team-mate of Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti.

He joined Lorient in 2023 but has made only five starts and 10 substitute appearances for the side sitting ninth in Ligue 1.

“Joel is a talented player who has a very good level of experience achieved at some really good clubs,” O’Neill said.

“He will give the squad another option, he is very quick, able to play on both wings”

The 20-year-old Arthur has made just three appearances for Premier League outfit Brentford, including two starts in his season’s League Cup.

However, O’Neill thinks the England youth international is “an excellent player, with real attributes, good height, strength and speed”.

His arrival allows Stephen Welsh to return to Motherwell on loan after being recalled as cover during January.

Meanwhile, Kenny heads for the side sitting third in League One having failed to become a first pick since O’Neill’s return to Celtic.

The 22-year-old Irishman, signed in January 2024 from Shamrock Rovers, has played 22 times for Celtic this season, 12 of them starts, and scoring six times.

“It’s an exciting challenge. We know that the club is not at the place that it should be, but I’m here to help the team and to bring what I can to achieve our goal.”

Disasi has not played for more than a year for Chelsea and was placed in the club’s so‑called “bomb squad” after failing to secure a move last summer and deemed surplus to requirements by former head coach Enzo Maresca.

He later worked his way back into the under‑21s and first‑team training, although he did not make a senior appearance.

Disasi joined Chelsea from Monaco in 2023 in a £38m deal and spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa.

But he is determined to prove his worth at West Ham as he added: “The club has given me the opportunity to show my quality on the pitch. I spoke with all the people here, and I feel that they really wanted me, so that’s why I’m here.

“Everyone knows my situation in the last few months, so I just want to get back on the field, feel the sensation of games and help the team.”

Aston Villa have agreed a deal to re-sign former midfielder Douglas Luiz on loan.

The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest from Juventus, but is set to leave the City Ground before Monday’s transfer deadline and join Villa.

Chelsea were also interested in the Brazil international but sources told BBC Sport his preference was Villa, where he made 204 appearances between 2019 and 2024.

Villa sold Luiz to Juventus for £42.5m in June 2024 to help solve their profit and sustainability problems, but he made just three Serie A starts before joining Forest in August 2025.

Villa boss Unai Emery is looking to bolster his midfield options, with captain John McGinn out for up to two months with a knee issue and Boubacar Kamara expected to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Emery’s side lost out on Conor Gallagher earlier this month after the England international opted to join Tottenham from Atletico Madrid for £35m.

Villa are third in the Premier League – four points behind leaders Arsenal – and have qualified for the Europa League last 16 with one league-phase game to spare.

Villa are also expected to complete the £18m signing of striker Tammy Abraham from Besiktas imminently after the striker had a medical in the UK.

The Turkish side activated an £11.2m option to buy loanee Abraham from Roma on Monday and are now set to sell the 28-year-old to Villa.