Arsenal are ready to again test Lyon's resolve over Alexandre Lacazette with an enhanced bid but Arsene Wenger must still convince the France striker to join a club out of the Champions League rather than wait six months for Atletico Madrid.

Lacazette had been lined up as a replacement for Antoine Griezmann at Madrid this summer but, with their transfer ban now upheld until next January, that move cannot take place during this summer transfer window.

Wenger had also tried to sign Lacazette last summer but turned his attention to Lucas Perez once a bid of around £30 million was rejected and has been quoted a fee of around £50 million, plus add ons, this summer. Arsenal are understood to be ready to pay close to that asking price but Lyon now expect the 26-year-old to stay.

Lacazette’s quandary with Griezmann now staying in Madrid, however, is that the domino chain of transfers that was anticipated this summer might not materialise next year. The plan was always that Lacazette would move away from French football this summer.

Wenger has claimed that the lack of Champions League football at Arsenal will not disadvantage him in the transfer market – and he has also been ambitiously trying to sign Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar – but playing in Europe’s elite club competition is an important factor to Lacazette. Arsenal’s chances of signing either Lacazette or Mbpappe may also be helped by including Olivier Giroud in the negotiation after the France striker suggested that he would not be content to remain so peripheral next season.