Lyon ready to sell Yoann Gourcuff

Arsenal are on red alert as Lyon president Jean-Michael Aulas admitted that his club is in significant debt and will have to sell star players. The Gunners have been tracking Gourcuff for five months and could now make a renewed offer for the playmaker.

According to reports from France, Lyon need to find money quickly as they are 28m EUR in debt on the last financial year.

Jean-Michel Aulas was forced to sell two of his star players last summer, when he sold duo Jeremy Toulalan and Miralem Pjanic to help balance the books.

Gourcuff is the next player who may leave the club.

"We had to sell four players this summer but we only sold two [Miralem Pjanic and Jeremy Toulalan]. We must now compensate for not selling two other players, perhaps by selling them in the winter transfer window," he told France Football.

"It may be possible that we will have opportunities to sell players which we don't want to, but that we can't refuse."