Toulouseon track to stay in Ligue 1, “will do everythingto retain four out-of-contract players, including its headliner, Dutch midfielder Branco van den Boomen, club president Damien Comolli said on Thursday.

Van den Boomen, Dutch midfielders Stijn Spierings and Belgian Brecht Dejaegere, and goalkeeper Maxime Dupé, “told me they plan to continue“said the leader at a press conference.

“There is a strong desire from these four players to stay at the club and sign up for the long term.“, He added the day after the big victory of the promoted against Troyes (4-1). “They are extremely attached to the city, to the club, to their teammates“. Damien Comolli an insured not to have »fixed deadlineto these executives of the Haut-Garonne workforce, who have all participated in the rise of the TFC in the elite.

“They marked the history of the club and will be marked by the club, whatever happens, for the rest of their lives.“, he recalled. “We will do everything to keep them. I know they wanna stay“. During his last press conference, on December 1, the Toulouse president seemed less optimistic about an extension for Van den Boomen, currently the fourth best passer in Ligue 1.

“He told me that he was interested in staying as long as he was there financially and sportingly. But that at the same time, he wanted to see if there was not better in Europehe had said. Also out of contract at the end of the season, English striker Rhys Healey, injured in a knee since last summer, should not stay on the banks of the Garonne.

“He wants to go back to England“confirmed Comolli, who also indicated that the American owners of the RedBird investment fund were “enchantedby the results of theTefece“, currently 12th in L1 with 11 points ahead of the first relegation. “The club has been making money for three years and will still make money at the end of the season“, he underlined. “It’s small, but you win and they don’t have to put it back. I think we are an exception in French football“.