Alexandre Lacazette to Arsenal: Lyon warn Gunners off striker and insist he is not leaving this summer ahead of Emirates Cup clash

Lacazette will face Arsenal today but is unlikely to play for them this season

Arsenal take on Lyon on the opening day of the Emirates Cup on Saturday where they will get a first-hand look at reported transfer target Alexandre Lacazette after he was named in the starting line-up for the French side.

However, the Lyon have warned that the highly-rated 24-year-old is not for sale and stressed he will not leave the club this summer despite interest coming from the Gunners and Liverpool.

Speaking ahead of the Emirates Cup friendly, Lyon’s manager Hubert Fournier stressed that he can’t see Lacazette leaving the Ligue 1 club at all this summer and that there is only one club he expects to see him at this season.

“Olympique Lyonnais,” Fournier answered when asked who Lacazette will play for this season.

“I haven't got much to say. He has said he wants to stay with us.

“Of course some clubs are going to be attracted to the sort of player he is but he is under contract at Lyon and with all of the different competitions we have this season with the Champions League and the domestic French cups, we obviously want to keep him at the club.”

Lacazette enjoyed his best season to date last term as he registered 27 goals in 33 Ligue 1 starts, leading to a number of clubs taking interest in the France international – who has already made eight appearances for his country.

French champions Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in Lacazette, although with Lyon determined not to sell it’s likely that he will line up against PSG next weekend in the Trophy de Champions as the top two take each other on to raise the curtain on the French domestic season.

“It is another exciting test for us,” Fournier added.

“It is going to allow us to give additional playing time to the entire squad. We are going to have 90 minutes in our legs before the Trophee des Champions final against Paris Saint-Germain.

“We think it is an important trophy, myself, the staff and the players - it's a competition we will take seriously, that is why we are preparing seriously for it.

“These matches will allow us to get up and running so we can be at our best in that competition.”