Fulham are optimistic that they can prise the French international striker Steve Marlet away from Lyon, despite having an initial £10m offer rejected by the French club.
Fulham's manager Jean Tigana, a former Lyon coach, will now increase his offer for the 27-year-old, who scored his first goals for France in a 5-0 win against South Korea in the Confederations Cup this summer. Tigana hopes to pair Marlet with his fellow countryman Louis Saha in attack.
However, Lyon - favourites for the French championship - are reluctant to let the striker leave, having already lost their Brazilian attacker Sonny Anderson for a month to injury and allowed Tony Vairelles to join Bastia on loan.
"I spoke to Tigana on the telephone on Monday morning and he made a large offer," said Lyon's director of football Bernard Lacombe. "But we simply can't afford to let Marlet go so close to the start of our Champions League campaign." However, that resolve may be tested by an increased bid.
"I need three or four more players and that's a problem," said Tigana, who bought Marlet's Lyon team-mate Steed Malbranque for £4.5m this month but has failed in recent bids for the Czech international Jan Koller and the Arsenal strikers Dennis Bergkamp and Nwankwo Kanu.
"I need at least one more striker and one more midfielder," he added. "It is very difficult when, for example against Manchester United, I have two players suspended. If Saha gets injured I do not have any solution at the moment."
Marlet, who has also interested Liverpool, joined Lyon last summer for £3.8m from Auxerre and scored 12 goals in 31 appearances to help them to their first trophy, the French League Cup, in 28 years. He has yet to score this season.
Source Dominic Fifield - The Guardian