Lyon animates the transfer market by achieving a big blow. One of the first of this summer transfer window. Released by Arsenal, Alexandre Lacazette is officially back at OL, his training club, which he left in 2017 to join the Gunners. Even in the absence of the European Cup next season for Les Gones, the 31-year-old striker was seduced by the speech of Jean-Michel Aulas, who absolutely wanted to see him return “home”.
“If we have to compromise to get it, we will,” repeated the Lyon president last May. After a difficult season, marked by an eighth place in Ligue 1 and the distrust of the supporters towards the men of Peter Bosz, this signing proves that Lyon have lost none of their ambitions. If he remains on a complicated exercise, with six goals scored in 36 games played in all competitions, Alexandre Lacazette remains a safe bet in his position. A leader who knows the Lyon environment perfectly and who will have an important role to play in supporting the club’s rising youth symbolized by Maxence Caqueret, Castello Lukeba, Malo Gusto and Rayan Cherki.
“Coco Tolisso? Yes I push for him to come too”
Thursday morning, Lacazette appeared before the media in the company of Jean-Michel Aulas. “Coming back to OL has become obvious,” explains the former international. Even without the European Cup, the club remains ambitious. I think I have progressed in the game and in my leadership. I want to help the team”. Lacazette said he was trying to convince Corentin Tolisso to come back: “Yes, I’m pushing for him to come too.”
Fourth top scorer in club history (129 goals in 275 games), Lacazette has agreed to halve his current salary (around 10 million euros per year) to return to Lyon. Also proof of his desire to relaunch within the club which saw him hatch at the highest level, he rejected proposals coming in particular from Spain and England. “The love of the club was enough to accept the drop, specifies the player. The project was important to me. I am happy. I have a role, a big role with young people. I will do my best so that we can all have a great season. Very young I wanted to mark the history of the club. I’ve already started and I don’t want to stop. It was complicated to follow OL’s last season from a distance because I couldn’t help. I hope this period is over and that we will find a great Lyon. »
It’s a first big blow for OL at a time when the club is about to go under the American flag. The businessman Foster Gillett would be in pole position to buy 40% of the capital of OL, the shares of Pathé and IDG, on sale since March 8 and the marketing of the respective shares of the two shareholders (19 .36 for Pathé and 19.85 for IDG). This sale would provide ample leeway for its future investments. “If the press says it’s Forster Gillet, it’s because someone has spoken, underlines Jean-Michel Aulas. But to say that he is in front, this is not the case. We are in money time. I intend to conclude the subject on June 23rd. I do not have the means directly to buy the shares on sale. But for years I have partners next to me in Lyon. You can manage without being in the majority, you have to have the confidence of the shareholders, as has been the case for 35 years. There will be shareholders, Americans or others. We have to be super discreet but we will have the means for our ambition and I will stay at the club. »