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Arsenal dealt blow as Lyon president hints that Lacazette wants to wait for Atletico Madrid

Arsenal dealt blow as Lyon president hints that Lacazette wants to wait for Atletico Madrid


Arsenal dealt blow as Lyon president hints that Lacazette wants to wait for Atletico Madrid

Lyon president Aulas has hinted at his desire to work with Atletico over Arsenal

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas confirmed interest and contact from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger but hinted that a deal with Atletico Madrid could still be on the cards in the 2018 winter transfer window.





Lacazette was strongly linked to Atletico Madrid and Jean-Michel Aulas even confirmed that Lyon and the Madrid club had agreed on a deal. Atletico failed in an appeal to overturn their transfer ban which meant they would not be able to buy players until January 2018, which killed off a potential move for Lacazette.



This opened the door for Arsenal, who have been linked to Lacazette themselves for over a year as well. A deal was believed to be close to completion for a fee of around £35 million.



However, Jean-Michel Aulas has dealt a blow to Arsenal after admitting that both Lacazette and the club are more keen to do business with Atletico Madrid.



Speaking in an interview with L'Equipe, Aulas said: "I do not intend to transfer Lacazette quickly because there is always the desire of Atletico Madrid to acquire it on January 1."



"I saw Wenger during the match between France and England and I understand that there might be an interest from Arsenal. But it is premature to say that things will be done. We must find a replacement before anything,"



When asked about where Lacazette is more likely to go, Aulas shrugged and said: "We are talking about €50-60 million in income. Arsenal are ready to pay for Lacazette. However, everyone knows that Atletico would pay up to €65 million. The Arsenal executives are well-informed of that."



This interview clearly showed Aulas' intention to work with Atletico Madrid over Arsenal. His over-emphasis on a replacement might also indicate that Atletico are willing to do a player-plus-cash deal for Lacazette. 



With the player previously expressing his admiration for Atletico Madrid and their players, it is looking increasingly unlikely that Arsenal will get the player who has scored 91 goals in the past three seasons.