Former Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette is expected to leave Olympique Lyonnais at the end of the current season, as the financially troubled French side aims to reduce its wage bill amidst threats of relegation sanctions.
Lyon’s owner, John Textor, has hinted that Lacazette, along with other high earners like Anthony Lopes and Nicolas Tagliafico, will not be retained beyond this campaign, especially as Lyon grapples with serious financial constraints imposed by the National Management Control Directorate (DNCG).
Lacazette, now 33, returned to Lyon in 2022 after spending five years at Arsenal, where he played 206 games, scoring 71 goals and contributing 33 assists. His tenure in North London saw Arsenal win the FA Cup in 2020, and despite struggling at times for consistency in front of goal, he was praised for his work rate, link-up play, and leadership qualities. However, his goal-scoring record never reached the prolific levels many expected when he joined from Lyon for around £46.5m in 2017.
Lacazette is considered a club legend at Lyon, where he began his career, amassing 187 goals during his two spells with the club. However, Lyon’s current financial predicament, largely driven by poor sales during the last transfer window, means his departure seems inevitable.
Eagle Football Group, which oversees Lyon, reported a sharp 67% decline in revenue from player sales for the first quarter of the 2024-2025 season, with only €29.7m raised compared to €90.5m the previous year. The group’s total quarterly turnover also fell significantly to €66.1m, down from €123.1m a year earlier.
Lyon’s disappointing summer transfer window saw them unable to generate enough income from outgoing transfers, despite notable sales such as Jake O’Brien to Everton for €14.3m, Mamadou Sarr to Strasbourg for €9.2m, and Mama Baldé to Brest for €4.2m. The shortfall in player sales, combined with Lyon’s substantial debt, has left them at risk of financial repercussions from the DNCG, which announced stringent measures, including wage bill controls, a ban on new signings in the winter window, and a potential relegation.
Textor, the American owner of Lyon, has attempted to downplay the threat of relegation, insisting that the club’s shareholders have enough funds to ensure stability. “We have resources that go far beyond the club. Nobody will allow the club to be relegated. We don’t have a money problem. It’s a perception problem,” Textor argued. However, to address financial pressures, Lyon will need to part ways with some of their highest earners, which includes Lacazette, whose contract expires in the summer.
Lacazette’s expected departure marks a difficult moment for Lyon supporters, who have seen one of their own rise through the academy to become a hero at both club and international levels.
Lyon currently sit 5th in Ligue 1, but with the threat of relegation hanging over them and a significant overhaul of the squad on the horizon, the club faces an uncertain future. For Lacazette, the end of his Lyon chapter may lead to a new opportunity elsewhere, most likely in the US or Saudi Arabia, but his departure will undoubtedly leave a void at a club where he once achieved legendary status.