|
Lens President Gervais Martel has no intention of letting forward Olivier Thomert join Manchester City next month.
Stuart Pearce's side only gave up their pursuit this summer when promised they could enter serious negotiations in January, but Martel is determined to hold on to the 25-year-old.
"I don't want to weaken my team," he explained. "I want a great second half to this season with a great Thomert [in the starting eleven]."
Martel is still smarting from the fractious departure of Antoine Sibierski to City in 2003 and is keen to defend the club's interests this time around.
"The days when we did everything to please a player by putting the club and its 200 employees in difficulty are over," he added.
"The players all know our plans: to install our club in the higher reaches of the table between now and 2009.
"Thomert is in the middle of a superb season, which is exactly what we've been waiting for since he joined. He's become a key figure."
Les Sang et Or are nonetheless under pressure to sell, with West Ham said to be offering £5.8m as opposed to City's £4.1m, yet Martel hopes to delay any decision for another six months.
"We talked and we've reached an agreement," he said. "If he continues at this rate and he still wants to leave, then he can go in June. And I'm someone who never goes back on my word."
The Premiership duo could find themselves trumped by Lyon, however, as rumour has it the champions negotiated an option on Thomert – as well as defender Vitorino Hilton – during the loan transfer of Pierre-Alain Frau to the Stade Félix-Bollaert earlier this month.
|
