Lyon prepared to pay for pair of Premiership players

French champions Lyon are preparing bids to prize away defender Mikael Silvestre from Manchester United and perpetually unhappy Jose Antonio Reyes from Arsenal.

29 year old Silvestre is being lured back to his home country as it has become clear he’ll be moving down the pecking order behind Gerard Pique and Wes Brown. Silvestre played just 14 games last season, but wants to remain at the club, a foolish desire, I think. After selling Florent Malouda to Chelsea, Jose Antonio Reyes looks to be the Lyon target, but I doubt the homesick player would play anywhere other than Spain, somewhere he seems almost childishly attached to.

If Lyon could sign Reyes, he could play up front or on the left, giving Lyon options. To me, it would be a great move, what with Champions League football and almost certainly another French league title, why not? Notice not too many players join Lyon and fail. More often than not, they join and succeed. While Real Madrid remain interested, their bids so far have been outright rejected while Lyon could easily table an acceptable bid. The deal, more than likely hinges on Arjan Robben. Should Robben join Madrid, Reyes will be out of luck.

Madrid have offered 6m pounds which is about half of what Arsenal want.

Jesus Rodriguez de Moya, Reyes's agent, has confirmed the interest from Lyon but is holding out.

Look at it this way: it’s like a guy that wants to be with a girl a lot more than the girl wants him. Eventually Madrid will dump Reyes off when a new target arrives. He may WANT Madrid, but Madrid aren’t really that excited to have him. You should always go play where you are wanted, Jose: if you go to Madrid, you will sit the bench more than you ever play.