Olympique Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed that the Ligue 1 club are interested in re-signing Karim Benzema and Alexandre Lacazette in the near future, though he admits that bringing Lacazette back from Arsenal is obviously a more viable prospect for the time being than the Real Madrid star.
Benzema left Lyon back in 2009, and his career has reached great heights in the Spanish capital since. He played a big part in everything they’ve achieved, winning the Champions League no less than four times, alongside three La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey trophies. In all competitions, the 34-year-old striker has scored 303 goals and contributed 153 assists to boot 587 appearances for Los Blancos.
Benzema’s contract with Real does not expire before the summer of 2023, but given the fact that he still performs at his absolute best, it wouldn’t be a surprise if an offer of a new deal came his way before then. Out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow since 2018, his importance for the team has become crystal-clear.
It hasn’t been nearly as good for Lacazette at Arsenal. Having arrived to North London as a €53m signing in 2017, the 31-year-old has had ups and downs ever since. He’s been in and out of the starting XI since Mikel Arteta took the reigns, but his role grew bigger in the last two months due to the well-publicized disciplinary issues with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. With the Gabonese now gone to Barcelona, Lacazette will almost certainly be playing regularly through the remaining part of the season, but his contract then expires, and it remains to be seen if Arsenal put in an effort to keep hold of his services. And even if they do, there is still the possibility of a return to Lyon holding greater appeal for the Frenchman than staying in England.
In all competitions, Lacazette has made a total of 192 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 70 goals and assisting his teammates on 32 occasions.
Lyon have already re-signed Tanguy Ndombele from Tottenham Hotspur, and at the unveiling of the returned midfielder, Aulas spoke to the press about Lacazette and Benzema.
“It’s Lacazette, he interests us because he marked this club,” he said.
“It’s a profile that interests us and we have always been in contact with him. This is part of the guiding ideas brought by (new sporting director) Bruno Cheyrou. In our context, yes it (Lacazette) is more accessible than Benzema.
“We have to try to see if we can do it as a free player but we will not be alone.”
