French attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir looks almost certain to leave Lyon this summer after director Juninho Pernambucano admitted it will be difficult for the club to keep him.
The 25-year-old impressed in Ligue 1 last season, scoring nine goals in 29 appearances and helping his side to a third place finish and the last 16 of the Champions League.
He has been linked to the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League as well as AC Milan and Real Betis, and Juninho, who won 40 caps for Brazil, believes Lyon supporters should be prepared for his departure.
“He's an important person at the club: he's trained here, he wears the captain's armband, he's also world champion," Juninho said.
"Honestly, I think it’s going to be difficult to convince him to continue. His generation has gone away.
“It’s not a closed matter but I’m telling you the truth. We would like to keep him. For the moment, the only conceivable departure is his.
“As long as he does not leave, we will work with him as if he were going to stay.
“It’s up to him to think about it, to make a decision with his family. But the possibility that he leaves is a reality.”
Lyon have already been raided for some of their most talented players this summer, with central midfielder Tanguy Ndombele joining Tottenham and left-back Ferland Mendy moving to Real Madrid .
The likes of Memphis Depay and Moussa Dembele are also been linked with big clubs around Europe, and they are facing a real struggle to keep together the core of the team which performed so admirably last season.
Fekir is in the final 12 months of his contract, and nearly moved to Liverpool last summer until the Reds eventually dropped their interest in the player.
