Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas insists Chelsea will have to pay €45m plus a player for Michael Essien.
The clubs have been locked in negotiations over the Ghanaian international midfielder, but Lyon are looking for a similar offer to the one Chelsea reportedly made for Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.
Essien refused to play in Wednesday’s season opener Champions Trophy between the league champions and Cup winners Auxerre on Wednesday night.
“Michael is in a vicious cycle. He didn’t want to play because he didn’t feel up to it,” Aulas told AFP.
“But we won’t let him go unless Chelsea make the same sort of offer they made for Steven Gerrard. If there was the money available for Gerrard then there must be for Essien, who’s younger. You have to stop treating French clubs like jokers.
“As Chelsea have wasted time we don’t have time to recruit a replacement so they’ll have to give us a player on top of the money.
“The price for Michael is Steven Gerrard’s price plus a player. Jose Mourinho knows exactly who we want. It’s up to him to make a move. He’d be better off calling me rather than calling Michael and putting him under pressure,” Aulas said.
But Lyon striker Sidney Govou admitted that Essien is determined to join Chelsea.
“We’ve talked a lot about it in the dressing room and as far as he’s concerned he’s going. It’s beteen him and the president now,” Govou said.
