Alexandre Lacazette Slams Lyon President Amid Chelsea and Arsenal Rumours
Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette has criticised club president Jean-Michel Aulas for the way he acted during contract negotiations over the summer.
Frenchman Lacazette was heavily linked with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool in the summer, but he eventually put pen to paper on a new deal at Lyon, tying him to the club until 2019, per PA Sport (h/t ESPN FC).
However, Lacazette—the top scorer in Ligue 1 last season after netting 27 times, per WhoScored.com—has now hit back at Aulas for publicly announcing the details of his contract offer in June, per French newspaper L'Equipe (h/t Get French Football News):
"It hurt. I think that is a justified word to use. When you are a youngster at the club, in the town, and you have never really behaved in a nasty way to anyone, to be treated like that, yes, it hurts. I had had my best-ever season, I really helped the team to reach the Champions League again.
Yes, it is his (Aulas’) attitude. When he talks, a lot of fans listen. And when he retells things, seen from his point of view, it makes you think that the player is in the wrong. Yes his behaviour hurt and disappointed me.
"
Per L'Equipe (h/t Get French Football News), the 24-year-old went on to explain that Aulas refused to meet his contract demands and that the summer's negotiations had an effect on his early season form as he was very "hurt."
Indeed, he has only netted once in the league so far this term, and Lyon are in eighth place after eight matches, per WhoScored.
There is still seemingly great interest in him, though, from the Premier League, and Chelsea are reportedly lining up a January move for him, per Spanish outlet Fichajes (h/t Metro's Tom Olver).
The Blues have made an awful start to the defence of their Premier League title in 2015-16 and have been poor up front where they are too reliant on the volatile Diego Costa, per Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe:
Arsenal may also be keen to challenge Chelsea to sign Lacazette, as they were heavily linked with him in the summer and remain short on top-quality strikers, per the Independent's Jack de Menezes.
Perhaps the strongest links to the Premier League for Lacazette in the summer related to a potential switch to Liverpool, per Fichajes (via Metro's Jamie Sanderson).
But following the additions of Christian Benteke and Danny Ings and the return of Daniel Sturridge from injury, the Reds' interest in Lacazette is likely less keen now.
Although the France international extended his contract at Lyon, it seems that he is not completely happy at the club, which is a positive sign for any potential suitors.
