Lyon owner John Textor has announced that Liverpool-linked Rayan Cherki will not leave the club on deadline day.
The French outfit have been open to outgoings this month, given their desperate need to raise money from transfers to avoid being demoted for financial irregularities at the end of the season.
Six players have already left the club this month, as well as Wilfried Zaha, who had his loan deal from Galatasaray ended early, before moving to MLS.
Lyon have amassed roughly £30m in transfer fees already this month, with Said Benrahma moving to Saudi Arabia on loan ahead of a potential permanent transfer in the summer, but the club still need more incoming money if they are to avoid punishment.
Cherki to stay put at Lyon?
Along with Malick Fofana, Cherki is the most valuable player in Lyon's squad, with the two young attackers showcasing their ability at numerous stages so far this season.
Despite all of the noise off the field, Cherki in particular has continued to play a huge role in their strong performances on the field.
The 21-year-old has contributed to 14 goals across all competitions so far this season for Lyon, who surprisingly sacked Pierre Sage last month, despite still being in the hunt for Champions League qualification domestically, and through to the last 16 in the Europa League.
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Given the potential of a cut-price deal, Liverpool were one of the clubs linked with Cherki, with it being reported that a fee of just £18.5m might have been enough to acquire his services.
According to L'Equipe, Borussia Dortmund made a bid in a similar region to that today, but it has been rejected, with outspoken owner Textor going on the record to confirm Cherki will be going nowhere.
Lyon close the door to Cherki exit
Speaking to Fabrizio Romano, Textor has revealed "We rejected Borussia Dortmund's offer and we do not intend to negotiate with them or any other club."
Textor's stubbornness to sell Cherki goes hand-in-hand with his beliefs that the club will avoid any severe punishments for the financial offences they have been accused of.
Cherki only has 18 months left on his contract, though, and in the worst-case scenario, Lyon may need to sell him in June if they are still found to be in breach.
In that scenario, Lyon will almost certainly get a much lower transfer fee for the player, with more clubs also set to circle around the player during a summer transfer window.
Andrew Delaney
