Alexandre Lacazette may have already hinted at a return to Lyon after leaving Arsenal.
The 30-year-old, who arrived in north London from the Ligue 1 outfit for a then club-record £46.5m fee during the 2017 summer transfer window, is expected to leave the Gunners when his contract expires at the end of the season.
With Lacazette entering the final months of his Arsenal deal, he has been free to talk with clubs outside of the Premier League since January 1 and sign a pre-contract agreement.
As things stand, the Frenchman's future is yet to be decided but Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has made it clear that he wants to bring the striker back to the club this summer.
“We’ll do our best to sign Alexandre Lacazette in June,'' he admitted.
Meanwhile, Lyon’s sporting director Vincent Ponsot revealed he is in constant contact with Lacazette's representatives which means an agreement could be struck very soon.
"It's Lacazette, he interests us because he marked this club, Ponsot added. "It's a profile that interests us and we have always been in contact with him."
To Ponsot's point, Lyon have kept in contact with Lacazette for over two years now as former sporting director Juninho Pernambucano revealed he tried to lure the Frenchman back to the club on loan during the 2020 January transfer window.
"That is not our level in terms of contract," the Brazilian said. "For the majority of these players. In January I called Alexandre Lacazette to chat a bit with him.
"He was having problems at Arsenal and I said to myself: 'Why not do a loan for 6 months with us where you will enjoy yourself, play all the games and score the goals like you know how to? 'And then you go back to Arsenal or somewhere else.'"
Of course, as it turned out Lacazette ended up staying at Arsenal, helping them to win the FA Cup that season and was allowed to enter the final year of his contract despite the fact he can walk for free this summer.
In the likelihood that the Frenchman does bid farewell to the Emirates faithful at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, as a free agent his next move could be to experience football in Spain, Germany or Italy.
However, his previous four-word verdict on the atmosphere in France may make it impossible for him to turn down a return to Lyon.
"I miss Ligue 1's atmosphere," he said during an interview with French outlet, Le Progres three years ago. "In England, the fans are more spectators than supporters.
"There's a better atmosphere in French stadiums."
Now it should be noted that Lacazette has grown to love the atmosphere in England in the four-and-a-half years that he's been an Arsenal player.
"I love the atmosphere in English games, because you know the fans will be loud until the end, whatever the score is,” he told Arsenal.com as recently as last month. "Look at the Leeds game for example. They supported their team and sang until the end.
"That’s similar in France as well though. Mostly they get behind their team even if they are down, and that’s the football I like."
The fact Lacazette mentioned the atmosphere in France again could be the clearest indication with regards to his next move after, as expected, leaving Arsenal in the summer.
