Strongly rumoured to be a target last summer, in the end, Alexandre Lacazette instead chose to stay at Lyon. This summer, with Liverpool in desperate need of top quality striker, there have been renewed whispers of interest in bringing the budding French superstar to Anfield. As yet, though, there has been little solid to suggest Lacazette to Liverpool is a deal in the works.
If Lyon president Jean Michel Aulas has anything to say about it—and one expects he might—it never will be a in the works, either. When faced with the suggestion his 24-year-old star could head to Liverpool this summer, the Ligue 1 side’s president was unexpectedly strong in his denials, saying not only Lyon not been contacted by Liverpool, but if they were there would still be no chance of a deal happening.
"Your information is trash," Aulas wrote on Twitter in response to a suggestion Lacazette might be sold to the Premier League side, before reminding everybody that while Liverpool will be back in the Europa League next season, Lyon are set to play in the Champions League. "Liverpool have never called, and what European cup are they playing in? They have neither the means nor the drawing power."
@OL_Plus vos informations sont bidons Liverpool n'a jamais appelé et joue dans quelle coupe d'Europe et n'en a ni les moyens ni l'intérêt
— Jean-Michel AULAS (@JM_Aulas) May 31, 2015
It’s harsh, and perhaps a little surprising to see coming from a club’s president, but not entirely unfair. Lyon have Champions League football to look forward to next season; Liverpool don’t. A year after failing to use the Luis Suarez windfall to source a proper striker replacement, Liverpool also aren’t likely to have a massive transfer budget, and they aren’t a club with a history of offering massive wages.
Last summer, Lacazette was in the class of player—young, promising, but just proven enough to think he might be ready to take the next step—Liverpool could have gotten if they’d pushed for him. This summer, Lacazette is more proven. And Liverpool are worse. Which adds up to a situation where he is now clearly above the class of player Liverpool can reasonably expect to bring in. It’s harsh, but it’s the truth.
If rumours of their willingness to trigger Luciano Vietto’s release are true, they will have to hope the 21-year-old Argentine striker, whose club Villarreal is set to play in the Europa League next year, can be convinced by playing time and Liverpool’s project. Even then, Liverpool will have a hard time selling themselves against rumoured competitors for his signature Arsenal and Atletico Madrid.