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Report: Lacazette agrees Atletico move; subject to transfer ban appeal

Reuters / Murad Sezer Livepic

Alexandre Lacazette will be shifting to the Spanish capital for next season if Atletico Madrid's transfer ban is lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, reports Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is understood to have confirmed a verbal agreement for the sale with Atletico, and the 25-year-old will make the move if the Spanish outfit's appeal against its ban is upheld this month. A previous appeal to FIFA failed last September, leaving the club unable to sign players in January and this summer due to breaching international transfer rules for under-16s.

Lacazette's potential switch is worth around €40 million according to reports earlier this month, and could pave the way for compatriot Antoine Griezmann's departure from Madrid. The striker's agent said Manchester United was the only club to show a "concrete interest" in signing his client after the current campaign, and manager Jose Mourinho is apparently keen on partnering him with Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata in attack.

There's further talk that Atletico may offload Kevin Gameiro and Nicolas Gaitan in a summer of wholesale changes to Diego Simeone's squad.

Lacazette has been in the Lyon setup for 14 years, and is a Les Gones favourite thanks to his 91 league goals over the past four seasons. The 10-time French international is blessed with devastating pace, stunning dribbling ability, and unerring accuracy in front of goal.

Numerous clubs are believed to have been tracking Lacazette's progress in the past, including Arsenal and West Ham United.

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