It doesn't sound like Lindsey Horan is coming back to the NWSL with the Portland Thorns anytime soon.
Horan last played in the league back in 2021 before joining Lyon in January of 2022 for the second-half of their 2021-22 season and the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign. The 28-year-old has been one of Europe's best, recovering from a saved penalty in Lyon's Champions League semifinal defeat to Chelsea by starting her side's Coupe de France triumph over PSG on May 13 before clinching the Division 1 Féminine this past Sunday with another victory over their Parisian rivals.
Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor clearly views Horan as indispensable and told the club's in-house broadcast team, OLPLAY, that the midfielder would not be leaving the club despite the expiration of her current loan deal in June.
Lyon have one more match remaining against Reims on Saturday, and then it was always likely that Horan would be given a short break before the USWNT begins its World Cup preparations with a friendly against Wales in San Jose on July 9.
But while a return to Portland looked likely after the World Cup, it now looks like Lyon could move to secure another year-long loan or perhaps a permanent transfer (Horan is under contract with the Thorns through 2025). Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang just became Lyon's majority owner and is clearly targeting some big moves.
There's no official announcement yet, but Lyon featured Horan in images that dropped Tuesday for their 2023-24 kit.
One player who's not modeling the new threads is USWNT star Catarina Macario. Bompastor also confirmed that the 23-year-old would be leaving Lyon as a free agent this summer and is destined for Chelsea. She missed the entire 2022-23 season after suffering an ACL injury and won't be available for the World Cup.
