Madagascar international centre-back Andy Pelmard, 26, could leave Clermont Foot on a free this winter, with the Ligue 2 club struggling to pay his salary, according to GFFN/Yahoo Sports.
Andy Pelmard has played only two Ligue 2 matches this season with Clermont Foot. Yet at 26, the Madagascar international could be on the move as early as the winter transfer window, which opens in January 2027, according to GFFN/Yahoo Sports.
The information, published on 10 November, remains a rumour: no official confirmation has been given. It rests on one mooted solution: releasing the player, whose contract runs to the end of the season, to trim a wage bill the club considers too heavy.
An agreement in principle reported
According to GFFN/Yahoo Sports, the centre-back recently spoke with Clermont Foot’s sporting director. The latter told him that, for financial reasons, the club was ready to facilitate a free transfer this winter. GFFN wrote: “On too high a salary, he recently held talks with Clermont Foot’s sporting director, who informed the defender that, for financial reasons, they would be willing to facilitate a free transfer this winter. The player accepted this solution.”
For his part, journalist Sacha Tavolieri, quoted by Transfery.info, believes the player will probably terminate his contract with the Auvergne club and leave on a free this winter. At this stage, that outcome remains probable rather than official.
The case also has a Polish dimension: according to Weszło, Lech Poznań had already shown interest in Andy Pelmard in the past and could return to the table. No destination has yet been settled.
Three loans and a mooted return to Nice
Trained at OGC Nice, Andy Pelmard was bought by Clermont in summer 2023. His path since has been a series of loans: to Lecce, to UD Las Palmas, then to Jagiellonia Białystok, from where he returned this summer.
At the start of the season, GFFN had reported a possible return to his formative club OGC Nice. The defender is still at Clermont, where he has played only two Ligue 2 matches this season.
A contract until the end of the season
The player’s contract runs until the end of the season. For Clermont Foot, facilitating a free departure would take that salary off the books without waiting for that deadline.
The winter transfer window opens in January 2027, and a mutual termination of contract is being considered, according to the available information.