Only Govou will leave Lyon, says club president

Olympique Lyon captain Sidney Govou will be the only player to leave the French champions during the close season, club president Jean-Michel Aulas said.

Lyon coach Paul Le Guen quit the club on Monday after leading them to their fourth successive Ligue 1 title, fuelling speculation that many players would follow him.

"Sidney (Govou) said he wanted to leave. After what he has done for the club, he has the right to go," Aulas told sports daily L'Equipe yesterday.

"But that will be all. I am ready to talk with agents to renegotiate existing contracts but nothing else. That is clear."

English champions Chelsea have been linked with Michael Essien but Aulas said the midfielder would not be moving to the London club.

"Only one player will go, I repeat it. Chelsea came up with an offer and left with nothing," he said.

"We have the best players in the midfield with Mahamadou Diarra, Michael Essien, Juninho."

Aulas said he wanted to buy a striker and another midfielder because Essien and Diarra may have to play in next year's African Nations Cup in 2006.

Brazil international Juninho will also miss some matches to play in his country's World Cup qualifiers.

Aulas hoped to have a new coach by the end of the month but said it would not be Monaco's Didier Deschamps or Lille's Claude Puel.

"Deschamps and Puel are the two top coaches in the Ligue 1 with Le Guen. But I do not think Deschamps will leave Monaco," he said.

"Then I like Puel a lot. But Lille's chairman is Michel Seydoux, Jerome Seydoux's (Lyon's second shareholder) brother, so I will not try to hire him."

Aulas also ruled out former Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld... the German does not speak French.