Le gazump: Are Liverpool flashing cash for Arsenal's French fancy Clement Grenier?
It's rumour time... and 'like' a player until you are blue in the face, nothing speaks louder than an actual £12.8m bid, in cash money, on the table...
Liverpool are rumoured to have made a move to beat Arsenal to Lyon playmaker Clement Grenier by tabling a firm £12.8million (Euro15m) offer.
Arsene Wenger has had his eye on Grenier - a player he has dubbed as 'like Samir Nasri' - for some time, but if the reports in the French media are correct, Brendan Rodgers is trying to jump the queue.
According to French media outlet Le 10 Sport - who cite national sports daily L'Equipe as their source - Liverpool have looked to cut to the chase with a solid bid, though this is as yet unconfirmed by anyone, anywhere.
Time is ticking for Lyon, and the pressure to sell growing - Grenier enters the final year of his contract next month, and he shows no signs yet of signing an extension.
The lad has previously been reported to be putting the squeeze on Lyon by seeking a wage hike from his current £68,000 to £210,000 - though that's PER MONTH, so while it might have the Rhone club sweating it's unlikely to prove a major stumbling block to a Premier League side
The club's president has reportedly put a Euro 37million price tag on the 22-year-old France star - which could read as the opening salvo in what he hopes will become a bidding war. Lyon nearly cashed-in on Grenier last summer, with a move to Nice cued-up.
'He's not ready'Lyon coach Remi Garde is working hard to get Grenier to stay, and reportedly told RMC radio in France: "I already did all I could so that he didn't join Nice last summer. I know the talent and ambition of Clement.
"I've told him that, at Lyon, there's everything for him to be able to continue his progress, and then go to a club where he'll establish himself as soon as he arrives. I think he's still got a little way to go at Lyon."
Garde was an Arsenal player himself - joining from Strasbourg in 1996 at Arsene Wenger's recommendation, though the future Gunners boss was still technically seeing out a contract elsewhere before switching to north London.
Arsenal have also got more than a passing interest in Lyon skipper Maxime Gonalons - as reported here at the beginning of this month.
The 24-year-old midfielder is rated by Lyon at £15million - and if the Grenier deal is wobbling under Liverpool pressure, Wenger could go back to Plan A.
Pity. Plan B looked a bit useful....
Daily Mirror 
