Lyon chief Bruno Cheyrou believes the Ligue 1 giants must attempt to bring Alexandre Lacazette back to the club when his contract at Premier League giants Arsenal expires, speaking to Olympique et Lyonnais.
Never say never.
If the final few hours of the transfer window proved anything, it’s that nothing is ‘impossible’. Going up against rivals Paris Saint-Germain for Tanguy Ndombele’s signature, Lyon must have felt like they were entering the French Grand Prix driving a tattered old Renault Scenic.
Imagine the surprise, then, when Ndombele opted for the home comforts of Lyon than the crushed velvet throne of the Parisien palace.
Cheyrou hopes that Lacazette will be tempted to follow in Ndombele’s footsteps when another former Les Gones favourite becomes available on a free transfer next summer.
“We talked about Tanguy Ndombele,” says the former Liverpool midfielder, now Lyon’s Head of Recruitment.
“At first, I thought it was impossible, that he was never going to come back. But little by little, in addition to his desire to come back, we managed to bring him back.
“I’m not telling you that we will succeed in bringing Lacazette back. But we have to try. Without selling dreams to anyone, we will try to be as ambitious as possible in the players we want to recruit.”
Will Alexandre Lacazette return to Lyon from Arsenal?
Lacazette has also been linked with Aston Villa, Inter Milan and Roma of late.
Turkish giants Besiktas appear to have dropped out of the race, however, scared off by the Frenchman’s £100,000-a-week wage demands.
The 31-year-old, he points out, remains a more ‘accessible’ option than one-time Lyon wonderkid Karim Benzema.
“I had the chance to follow Lyon’s European campaign for BeIn Sports three or four years ago. (Corentin) Tolisso and Lacazette… they were head and shoulders above (the rest),” Cheyrou adds.
“And if Lacazette could return with the experience picked up in England…
“Who would be against Lacazette’s return?”
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