Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has not lost hope of keeping Arsenal linked Nabil Fekir at the club and extending his contract.
Fekir has entered the final year of his contract and has again been linked with a move away from Lyon this summer.
He came within a whisker of joining Liverpool last year and a move to the Premier League has again been mooted with Arsenal believed to be interested in taking him to north London.
Lyon are yet to receive an offer for Fekir and Aulas indicated that it could be unfruitful for his suitors to play the waiting club as the French champions are under no pressure to sell the player at the moment.
In fact, the Lyon supremo stressed that Lyon would be delighted to open negotiations over a new contract with Fekir if he does not find a big enough club to join this summer.
The Lyon president was quoted as saying by French outlet Foot Mercato: “Nabil has a year left on his contract so there may be temptations from other clubs to let the situation drag.
“That said, we are financially strong enough to wait.
“And it would be very good if he doesn’t find a club of his size as then we would go into negotiations to extend his contract.
“I have always respected, as with Nabil and all the other players who preceded him, their deepest wish.
“Right now he says that he wants to leave, but maybe he will stay and at that moment we will make sure that he extends his contract.
“Nabil deserves a club of his size and if he does not find it, we will be very happy to extend his contract.”
Fekir wants to leave and Lyon are believed to be asking for a fee in excess of €30m, while he has also been linked with Roma.
