Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has told striker Sidney Govou he will be allowed to leave the club at the end of the season, but only if the price is right.
Govou, who has 15 caps with Les Bleus, announced two weeks ago that he would be leaving the French champions during the summer in the hope of moving overseas.
Top clubs in England, Spain, Italy and Germany have been alerted by the news and the player claims to have already received contact from interested parties, though he is unwilling to specify names.
Now a multi-club tug of war looks a certainty after Aulas agreed to let him go as long as the sale brings in enough money.
"We have not yet received any offers for Govou but the player claims he has," Aulas said after Lyon's 3-0 win over Auxerre on Sunday. "We are waiting for offers which will coincide with the value of a French international.
"The aim is to keep the team the way it is although we won't retain the players who have expressed the desire to leave. Those players will be released as long as the financial offers put on them correspond to what we want."
However, Aulas has already started looking around for Govou's replacement with Strasbourg hitman Mamadou Niang reportedly his top target.
Strasbourg are willing to sell their talented striker for eight million euros (£5.4million), of which 15% would go to Niang's former club Troyes, who had a special clause inserted in the player's contract when he joined Strasbourg in 2003.
Meanwhile, Aulas is also expected to offer contract extensions to midfielders Mickael Essien and Alou Diarra, as well as Brazilian playmaker Juninho.
Govou, who has 15 caps with Les Bleus, announced two weeks ago that he would be leaving the French champions during the summer in the hope of moving overseas.
Top clubs in England, Spain, Italy and Germany have been alerted by the news and the player claims to have already received contact from interested parties, though he is unwilling to specify names.
Now a multi-club tug of war looks a certainty after Aulas agreed to let him go as long as the sale brings in enough money.
"We have not yet received any offers for Govou but the player claims he has," Aulas said after Lyon's 3-0 win over Auxerre on Sunday. "We are waiting for offers which will coincide with the value of a French international.
"The aim is to keep the team the way it is although we won't retain the players who have expressed the desire to leave. Those players will be released as long as the financial offers put on them correspond to what we want."
However, Aulas has already started looking around for Govou's replacement with Strasbourg hitman Mamadou Niang reportedly his top target.
Strasbourg are willing to sell their talented striker for eight million euros (£5.4million), of which 15% would go to Niang's former club Troyes, who had a special clause inserted in the player's contract when he joined Strasbourg in 2003.
Meanwhile, Aulas is also expected to offer contract extensions to midfielders Mickael Essien and Alou Diarra, as well as Brazilian playmaker Juninho.
