Lyon to improve Lisandro offer

French club deterrmined to land striker

Lyon have not given up in their attempt to acquire Lisandro Lopez from FC Porto and will, once again, make an improved offer in the hope of bringing the Argentinean marksman to the Stade de Gerland.

The Ligue 1 club have received a windfall of cash with the sale of striker Karim Benzema to Real Madrid and are looking at returning to the negotiating table with an augmented bid.

Lyon have already seen proposals of 12m and 18m euros rejected by the Portuguese champions and, according to director Olivier Blanc, the French side have not yet been discouraged by their attempts being thwarted.

"There is a new offer," confessed Blanc to Le Progres. "Negotiations have not terminated as we continue to be interested in the player."

The executive's comments contradict what president Jean-Michel Aulas had declared when the Lyon supremo baulked at Porto's asking price.

Shold Lyon fail in their third bid for Lisandro Lopez, then the club may be forced to look elsewhere and the Spanish press has linked Real Madrid's Ruud Van Nistelrooy with the French outfit.

by Marco Pereira