10 Jun 2013

'We've had talks' - Lyon Chief responds to LFC interest in exciting €15m attacker

Earlier this week, French newspaper L'Equipe claimed that Liverpool had put in a €15m offer for Lyon attacking midfielder Clement Grenier. Negotiations are ongoing, but it seems that Lyon remain steadfast in their refusal to sell the 22-year old forward.

When asked last night about interest from Liverpool and Arsenal, Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas told reporters:

"We've had talks about Clement Grenier.

"The club's position is there will be no departure this year of a player who was educated at the club and that is reaching maturity."

"We don't want a player who is quoted at €15million (£12.7m) to leave as a free agent."


Aulas recently claimed that Grenier is 'worth €37m', but it seems like he's abandoned that ridiculous valuation for something a little more realistic.

In an interview with L'Equipe on Monday, Lyon coach Remi Garde also made it clear that he wants to keep hold of Grenier:

"He [Grenier] has won over everyone. He's done what was necessary to be at the heart of our project for years to come. We're going to do everything to keep him."

Speaking to RTL this week, Grenier revealed that he'd had a meeting with Garde about his future:

"I met with the coach. It's going to stay between us for the moment. No-one knows the future of a player. If I knew whether I should stay or leave to play at the World Cup, I'd still keep it private. The World Cup is still a year away. There are quite a few games to be played before that, a whole season."

Grenier has been called into the France squad for their upcoming South American tour, and he's clearly got his eye on making the World Cup squad next year. To do that, he'll need to play regular first-team football, and with 33 appearances (24 starts) for Lyon last season, it looks like he's doing that in France.

Would he play more often if he came to Anfield? At first glance, it seems doubtful; however, as a right-sided attacking midfielder, Grenier's only real competition would be Stewart Downing, so there's definitely scope to make the position his own. Just look at Coutinho - he's a first-team regular already and he's two-years younger than Grenier.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger recently admitted that the Gunners are tracking Grenier. He told French programme Telefoot:

"We are following him. His intelligence of play pleases me. He has interesting qualities. He's like Nasri"

Money talks in football, and if the right offer comes in, I'm sure Lyon will sell. Should LFC pursue Grenier?





NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy


22 comments:

  1. About time we were linked to bids for some defenders...

    ReplyDelete
  2. We have more than Downing on the right wing: Sterling, Suso and hopefully Assaidi is still in the mix too. Henderson, Shelvey and Suarez have played there too. Sturridge can play there (and was effective under AVB, cutting inside). Ibe?


    If a right winger comes in, it should be a top, top player...Otherwise we have the numbers and youngsters to have that position covered.


    If Downing is first choice a big issue is whether he will grab enough goals for us.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hate that "no one knows what will happen to a football player these days" line. If you have a contract and you don't want to leave, you won't leave. They can't sell you if you don't want them to.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mr. Point Of View2:49 pm, June 10, 2013

    My personal opinion : i dun like much those left footer play on right side (versa). Coz i dun think those cutting in gonna work under current player we had. Most of the time the winger dun shoot and even if they shoot/crossing we dun have enuf player specially midfielder to storm in get rebound or do something inside 6yard box.
    Dun get me wrong not i gonna against BR tactic, just the current player we had still need abit of work to achieve that. So i think BR wan to keep those tactic for next season he gonna search some1else capable doin so..

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shelvey and Hendo were poor paying right wing. Specially Shelvey.


    We need a right winger to compete with Downing. Sterling is a good prospect but that's all he is atm.


    He did well when he played but rarely set the world alight. He needs time. Ibe though....much bigger prospect.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Is this boy worth 13 mil pounds? He can't be too bad with Arsene Wenger looking at him as well. But will Arsenal pay 13 mil pounds for him? Seriously doubt so.

    ReplyDelete
  7. sign rhodes ricky lambert,james mccarthy of wigan , callum mcmannamn , micheal vorm and perace from reading

    sell suarez , carroll, ,lucasskrtel , coates ,reina and assaidi

    team

    rhodes,sturridge,aspas,mccarthy,coutinho,henderson,johnson,toure,pearce,vo rm
    then we will finish 6th above everton

    ReplyDelete
  8. bench
    lambert,mcmannama,shelvey and allen , agger and kelly
    sell gerrard to arsernal so he can win a title

    ReplyDelete
  9. u serious? i dont even want to give my honest argument to your idea ...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Him and Eriksen with the same price tag. Interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  11. lets just pick up eriksen!

    ReplyDelete
  12. the way things went last season shlvey didnt play well anywhere he and BR seriously need to sit down and figure out where the hell he is best at

    ReplyDelete
  13. We seem to have a lot of links with Attacking Mids right not. I am guessing only one will come, so not reading to much into all the rumors. I just can`t see us signing two of 3 attacking mids. Each deal seems to be almost confirmed or we have bidded.


    While I think we have the AM role covered with Coutinho, if we were to sign another this guy wouldn`t be my first choice. I don`t see the point just signing anyone for that role. It has to be someone top draw. We have a young player for that role in Coutinho and also in Hendo. Gerrard can play there to if BR ever let him.


    Eriksen is the talk of the day for most fans, although I think he is like Snejdier. Overated and overhyped, and loved purely cause of his hype rather than from players who have watched him play. He is clearly talented, just on not sure if he is as talent as some people make out.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Agreed! Papodopulous would be nice!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thats true, before the red card againts united he was showing alot of potential (quite a few mistakes too lol) and once he came back he looked like he had taken 10 steps back in progress.
    The talent is there but whether we get to see it in a LFC shirt or not is the real question

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank god you said it because i just didnt know what to write

    ReplyDelete
  17. i agree, He's a good players but Eriksen just seems to be rated abit higher than what i think he is capable of.


    I got to watch a fair bit of him this past season and he's either not
    the finished product or he is way overhyped, I love the comparison to Sneijder because its very accurate as he can command the field one game and completely disappear the next.


    If he was as good as what we are told why hasnt anyone bought him? By this time of year Kagawa was on his way to Man U for 17m.

    Also a few teams reported had to fight each other off for Chelsea to sign Mata and Hazard.

    For 15m i think he has shown enough to have a go on but how much will he improve our team?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Could you translate this into English?

    ReplyDelete
  19. forget talent for a while ..... every player in the squad knws where they are best eg hendo cam lucas cdm sterling lw/rw suarez cf borini cf .......but if u ask this question to shelvey he will say i dunno i can play all over the park .......rather than being jack of all trades try to be master of one

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am in the same boat as you on this. Eriksen seems the flavour of the month, and im sure a lot of people wanting him have never seen him play. For 15mil though I would take the risk. However it would also depend on who else we sign. Like you im only after players who improve the team. If we have a great player in that position already, or even two then I don`t see the point in adding a third when other areas are still lacking. In the AM role we have Coutinho and Alberto (if we sign him) plus Hendo or Shelvey. There is room for a better AM, but this would mean Alberto is very much a future player and prob wouldn`t see many if any games next season (if signed). It would also mean we would need to sell Shelvey and prob Hendo imo. I can`t see the point in having four players for one position. It`s wasted wages and unhappy players. I don`t mind Shelvey going but would like Hendo to stay.

    ReplyDelete
  21. To compete with Downing?! If we're maintaining any hopes of a big jump next season, we need somebody to replace Downing on the right!


    I would MUCH rather have Sturridge as a RWF and see another striker brought in, than to see Downing continue to remain a first team player next season.


    Henderson and Shelvey should never be starting in the front 3 either - they're central midfielders and that's it

    ReplyDelete