Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis has played down speculation about his rumoured departure from the club, saying he is not going anywhere.
Gomis scored twice as Lyon came from behind to beat Troyes 4-1 on Saturday in their Ligue 1 opener, and said he is happy to stay with the club this season.
“It’s part of life as a footballer. Sometimes a club wants to sell you, sometimes you actually leave, but personally I really love this group of players, this club and this city,” Gomis said.
“I’ve never said that I’m going, I still have a lot of great moments to come here in Lyon. Obviously you can never say never, but for me, I will stay here with Lyon until the end of the season and then, after that, we’ll see.”
Centre back Cris is another who has been linked with a move away from the club, and the Brazilian admitted it can be hard to stay focused amid the speculation.
“Look, until the end of the transfer window, you always think it could be your last game with your club,” Cris said.
“As I just said, each week anything can happen, but every game that you play you just have to stay focused, because if you go the other way, you might not play very well.
“At the end of the day, I just tried to play my game and to give my best as usual, for the club. It’s for me and for the supporters.”
Head coach Remi Garde also has transfers on his mind, but said players must be given credit for maintaining team spirit during a period of upheaval.
“I don’t sleep. I stay close to my phone, but I don’t think I’m the only one,” Garde said.
“There must be other clubs in the same situation. I just try to talk with the players as much as possible. Some of them need to be reassured on their individual situations. Others are more integrated into the group.
“It’s not easy, but it’s an interesting job which demands a lot of energy.
“Somewhere we have to give credit to the players. All of them have very important individual interests, but football is a game of 11 players. We need this cohesion, this solidarity – words I often use – so maybe they will begin to understand.”
