Lionel Carole

Carole's current-season form is down 39% on last season (Season 31→19), while his Rating eased 19→14. His peak season for form remains 2024/25 (Season 31).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	A	Match	RTG	Season
2025/26	Kayserispor · 17th	24	0	6.7	14	19
2024/25	Kayserispor · 13th	31	0	6.75	19	31
2023/24	Kayserispor · 14th	28	1	6.79	20	18
2022/23	Kayserispor · 9th	23	1	6.84	24	24
2021/22	Kayserispor · 14th	29	2	6.67	28	29

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 10 earlier seasons and 2 youth-team spells in the full career.

France · international

Side	Apps	G
France U20	5	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Experienced headCentral defender

L. Carole is a 35-year-old central defender at Caen, enjoying a standout season — 0 goals and 0 assists in 24 appearances, a Season grade of 27, top 100% of Ligue 3 centre-backs. On long-term scout potential he's rated 17.5, ranking 18th of 19 in the Ligue 3. A seasoned veteran, he has been an ever-present (88.1% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 3.22 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Carole.

Judged on this season alone, Carole graded 27 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 7th of 7 of the 7 centre-backs in the Ligue 3, on 4 clean sheets and 3.218 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 31 → 19). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2024/25.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 18, 7th of 7 of the 7 centre-backs in the Ligue 3. At 35 Carole is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 1.3 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Below his 2024/25 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.

Peak: 2024/25Holding levelRemarkably consistentInjury-hit 2025/26

Current potential7th of 7 centre-backs · Ligue 3 Current season7th of 7 centre-backs · Ligue 3 7th-best centre-back in the Ligue 3 18th in the Ligue 3 · potential 7th-highest potential centre-back in the Ligue 3

17.5

Ratingi

7th of 7 centre-backs

27.1

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

88.1%

Minutes

near ever-present

3.22

Def. actions / 90

moderate defensive volume

Output in context · Caen finished 4th of 18 · an upper-table side

Apps

3.22

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

3.22 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 4 clean sheets across 24 appearances. Behind an upper-table side (4th of 18) the side controls more games, so the defensive load is lighter — the value sits as much in composure and ball progression as in raw volume.

Strengths

Availability. On the pitch for 88.1% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.

Watch points

Age curve. At 35, both level and resale value are on the downslope.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 17.5, Carole carries the 7th-highest potential of the centre-backs in the Ligue 3 of 7. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (3.22 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.6× and falling).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %88.1%

Available fixtures24 of 10

Goals / 900

Assists / 900

Goal contribution / 900

Defensive actions / 903.218

Player flow

Goal involvements0

Pass accuracy %80

Dribble success %33.3

Cards / 900.142

Foul involvement / 902.035

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~4), then tapers with age. At 35, Carole sits on 1.3, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Carole's projected Rating — 17.5 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among centre-backs in the Ligue 3 with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals0—

Passing

Assists0—

Chances created12—

Passes836—

Pass accuracy80%—

Possession

Successful dribbles3—

Dribble success33.3%—

Duels won86—

Duels won %61.9%—

Fouls won31—

Defending

Tackles30—

Interceptions31—

Blocks7—

Fouls committed12—

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards3

Red cards0

Transfer history

€3M total transfer fees · 9 moves

CaenJun 2026 – nowFree

KayserisporJul 2021 – Jun 2026

StrasbourgAug 2018 – Jul 2021€ 750K

Galatasaray(back from loan)Jul 2018 – Aug 2018

Sevilla(on loan)Aug 2017 – Jul 2018

GalatasarayJul 2015 – Aug 2017€ 1.5M

Estac TroyesJul 2013 – Jul 2015

SSedan(on loan)Aug 2011 – Jul 2013

BenficaJan 2011 – Aug 2011€ 750K

Nantesuntil Jan 2011

About L. Carole

Lionel Jules Carole is a 35-year-old centre-back who plays for Caen, born on April 12, 1991 in Montreuil, standing 182 cm tall. He is from France. Caen currently sit 4th of 18 in the Ligue 3.

This season

In the current season, L. Carole has made 24 appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists across 1,902 minutes, with 3 yellow cards.

L. Carole's next match is on October 31, 2026, when Caen face Le Puy Foot away in the Ligue 3.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates L. Carole at 17.5 with a Season form score of 27.1, ranking 18th of 19 centre-backs in the Ligue 3. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 9 career titles — among them the Super Cup and the Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 16 recorded seasons, L. Carole has totalled 332 club appearances with 1 goal and 13 assists for 10 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2012/13, with 39 appearances for Benfica B.

L. Carole's career has also included time at Kayserispor, Strasbourg, Galatasaray, Sevilla, Estac Troyes, SSedan, Benfica and Nantes.

On the international stage, L. Carole has represented France U20 — 5 caps in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Caen finished 4th of 18 · an upper-table side

Strengths

Watch points