Lyon have reportedly moved to the front of the queue to sign Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic.
After four seasons at Stamford Bridge, Pulisic will depart the club this summer having fallen down the pecking order under a number of different managers.
The United States international contributed just one goal and two assists from 1012 minutes of football in all competitions, subsequently resulting in both the club and wideman wishing to agree to an exit.
With just one year remaining on the 24-year-old's contract, the sale of the versatile attacker will eventually be agreed, but Chelsea's hierarchy are seemingly prepared to hold out for their asking price.
A number of reports have indicated that AC Milan are eager to finalise a deal for Pulisic, with the relevant officials having already held discussions when pushing through the transfer of Ruben Loftus-Cheek to San Siro.
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Pulisic is also said to be interested in signing for Milan, but it has been claimed that the Serie A giants have only bid in the region of €14m (£12m) thus far.
That is considerably below Chelsea's asking price at this stage of the window, and it has reportedly led to Lyon attempting to win the race for Pulisic.
According to The Athletic, the French club are willing to pay €25m (£21.5m) in order to secure the services of the player.
The report says that Chelsea are willing to accept such a proposal, particularly when it is said to come with a sell-on clause.
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As it stands, it is unclear whether Pulisic is willing to accept a transfer to Lyon, who have just missed out on European qualification for the second season in succession.
However, Les Gones are about to undergo a rebuild under new owners, and much may depend on whether Pulisic wishes to commit to the project over guaranteed Champions League football during 2023-24.
Juventus have also been credited with an interest in Pulisic, although it is unclear whether they have the financial capability to meet Chelsea's demands this summer.
Barring a late return to the race, it appears that concrete interest from the Premier League has waned with Manchester United and Newcastle United having been linked with Pulisic in recent weeks.
Darren Plant
