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Yoann Gourcuff of Lyon attracting French, foreign interest, says lawyer

Yoann Gourcuff's lawyer Didier Poulmaire has told RMC the artful Lyon midfielder has French and foreign clubs interested in him, but that nothing will be decided until the season's end.

Gourcuff, 28, has endured another injury-blighted campaign at Lyon and has recently been sidelined with a hamstring. But he has shone intermittently in helping the seven-time French champions challenge Paris Saint-Germain for the Ligue 1 title.

The France international is out of contract at the end of the season, and with Lyon unwilling to match the multimillion-euro salary he was guaranteed by the deal he signed when he moved to the club from Bordeaux for €22 million in 2010, Gourcuff, who did take a pay cut earlier this season, is expected to move elsewhere.

The former AC Milan prodigy has been linked to Arsenal and Liverpool, as well as former clubs Rennes and Bordeaux. Poulmaire admitted there are teams interested in signing a player who was hailed as "the new Zidane" when he inspired Bordeaux to the 2008-09 French title.

"We can't speak for Yoann, he will make the final decision. He'll make his choice in terms of the sporting side of things and the people he will have around him. There are French and foreign clubs interested in him. There are clubs who have shown an interest in signing Yoann," Poulmaire said.

"He told me that he won't listen to anything until he has heard the final whistle on the last day of the season," Poulmaire continued. "He wants to help Lyon onto the podium and why not pick up the title? Yoann is someone who is very honest, a soldier in football and he wants to do everything to allow Lyon to get onto the podium."