Lacazette's agent denies Atletico talks, claims 'other clubs' interested

A report suggesting a deal is in place for Alexandre Lacazette to join Atletico Madrid this summer was dismissed by the player's agent.

According to Spanish outlet Cadena Cope, the Lyon forward has a verbal agreement with the Liga side following a meeting last month, during which Lacazette and agent David Venditelli discussed the details of a move with Atletico's chief executive, Miguel Angel Gil.

While Venditelli denied the report, he did add fuel to speculation about Lacazette's possible departure from Lyon - according to French outlets as translated by ESPNFC's Ian Holyman - when he revealed that "other clubs than Atletico but of the same standing in Europe are interested."

Lacazette, who leads Lyon with 23 goals in 24 Ligue 1 matches this term, hinted at a possible exit this summer when he claimed in January that "the right time has arrived" to explore different opportunities.

Meanwhile, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas seemed resigned to the fact that the 25-year-old's time at the club is coming to a close, claiming he wouldn't prevent Lacazette from leaving.

Similar to last summer, a number of Europe's biggest clubs are expected to submit bids for Lacazette, whose contract expires in 2019.

Those hoping to see their offers succeed, however, will likely have to submit offers north of €40 million.

Lacazette could see previous suitors return to the bargaining table after the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, and Arsenal - which saw its official bid worth €35 million get rejected last summer - along with Liverpool and others were previously linked to the France international.