Alban Lafont, the 26-year-old goalkeeper for French club FC Nantes, has officially completed a loan transfer to Greek Super League side Panathinaikos, as confirmed by both clubs involved in the deal.
This move will see Lafont, who notably received a call-up to the French national team under manager Didier Deschamps in the past, reunite in Athens with his former Nantes teammate and captain, Pedro Chirivella.
The agreement between the two clubs is understood to be a straightforward loan arrangement, explicitly stating that there is no embedded option for Panathinaikos to make the transfer permanent. Lafont`s existing contract with Nantes is currently set to run until the summer of 2027.
Lafont had firmly established himself as Nantes` primary goalkeeper, accumulating an impressive 129 appearances for the club during his tenure. However, he gradually lost his regular starting spot during the previous season under the then-head coach, Antoine Kombouaré.
His final competitive outing for Nantes occurred in November 2024, in a 2-0 defeat against Le Havre AC. Following Lafont`s marginalization from the starting XI, Kombouaré initially opted for Patrik Carlgren in goal before Anthony Lopes joined from Lyon, solidifying the number one goalkeeping position at the club.
