Arsenal target Alexandre Lacazette has admitted that he would leave Lyon this month if the French club receive an acceptable offer from the right team.
On Sunday, Lacazette gave a timely reminder of why he is in demand by netting a hat trick in his side’s 3-0 win over Nancy on the opening weekend of the new Ligue 1 season.
Late last month Lyon issued a statement to say that they had rejected Arsenal’s bid of €35 million for the 25-year-old striker.
Speaking after Lyon’s win, Lacazette confirmed French press reports which had stated that he would be interested in moving on from Lyon if the circumstances were right.
“If there are offers that can’t be refused, I’d like to not refuse them,” Lacazette told French TV show Canal Football Club.
“But I’m very comfortable at Lyon. The proof was there today that I was in the right state of mind.
“I scored three goals — I’m pleased. With my teammates, everything is going well. So for me all is well.”
When asked if there were any offers on the table, Lacazette smiled and told the interviewer to “ask the president.”
It was then put to him that Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is convinced that the striker is going to stay.
“I’m going to stay then, if he says so,” Lacazette replied.
Addressing Paris Saint-Germain’s reported interest in the player before they signed Jese, Aulas said that Lacazette is better off staying at Lyon.
“It’s good that he should stay at least one more year with us,” Aulas said in an interview published by the Journal du Dimanche on Sunday.
“It’s in his interest. He’s the leader of a good team who play in a very attacking style.
“The day that Real, Barca or Manchester United come to see us, it will be different.”
Lacazette, who scored 21 league goals last season, was previously linked with Barcelona. But it is thought that the France international did not want to be used as a back-up in a wide position for their starting front trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
West Ham also had a bid rejected for the former Ligue 1 Player of the Year earlier this summer.
According to reports in France, however, Lacazette is not willing to move to a club that is not playing Champions League football this season.
Speaking after their win over newly-promoted Nancy, Lyon manager Bruno Genesio predicted that Lacazette would not leave the club this summer.
“I’ve already responded several times on this topic,” Genesio told reporters.
“He’s at Lyon — he’s going to stay. The president has done everything to show that we loved him.
“For me, there’s nothing to talk about.”
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