Alexandre Lacazette's burning desire to play in the Champions League again looks set to continue for at least another season amid reports of a return to Lyon after leaving Arsenal.
Whilst not confirmed by any of the parties involved in the deal just yet, according to The Athletic, the Frenchman is understood to be on the cusp of returning to his former side on a free transfer in a move that is sure to please the Ligue 1 outfit's president Jean-Michel Aulas.
Back in February, Aulas went public with his aim to bring Lacazette back to Lyon - five years after he joined Arsenal for a then club-record £46.5million fee that was said to be rising up to £52.6million with add-ons: "We’ll do our best to sign Alexandre Lacazette in June,'' he admitted.
READ MORE: Arsenal make major Alexandre Lacazette announcement ahead of summer transfer window
Meanwhile, at the time, Lyon’s sporting director Vincent Ponsot also revealed he was in constant contact with Lacazette's representatives and then just last month reiterated the club's plan to re-sign the 31-year-old after Aulas claimed the club would "make compromises" to get a deal done.
With that said, it would appear that the Lyon pair aren't alone with regards to compromises as it's looking like Lacazette will be performing something of a u-turn to rejoin his former club. This is based on the Champions League conditions he set out in April when hinting at his next move after leaving Arsenal.
"I am in discussions with a lot of clubs," he told Canal Plus. "I am open. I have never cut contact with Lyon since I left. I try to return to the club once or twice a year to see the medical staff because we are really close. Lyon know that I am free, they have to come with a proposal.
"I want to play in Europe, it’s been a long time since I played in the Champions League, I’m missing it. It’s a little more complicated, nothing is impossible in life, but it’s a little more complicated."
Interestingly, as Lyon finished eighth in the Ligue 1 table last season, not only did they not qualify for the Champions League, but they missed out on the Europa League and the Europa Conference League which means it could be two successive campaigns without any form of European football for Lacazette.
Of course, when speaking to Canal Plus a couple of months ago, Lacazette never ruled out a return to Lyon and as per L'Equipe - who claim an 'announcement confirming his homecoming is imminent' -, the opportunity to be the club's leader on the pitch had a major impact on his decision even though he is deferring his Champions League dream for at least another year.
