Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has hailed Bayern Munich's imminent signing of Sadio Mane as 'fantastic' for the 'entire Bundesliga'.

The Senegal international is poised to move to Bavaria for a fee of €40.7 million (£34.1m) and the move is expected to be tied-up on Wednesday with an official confirmation made.

Mane's move to Germany may well have a knock-on effect in the transfer market, with Robert Lewandowski keen to leave Bayern and heavily touted for a move to Barcelona.

Any departure for Lewandowski would leave Mane with a significant void to fill but Matthaus believes it's not just Bayern who will benefit from the addition of the 30-year-old forward.

"The signing of Sadio Mane is fantastic – not just for FC Bayern, but for the entire Bundesliga," he told Sky Germany.

"The fact that such a great footballer will play in our league is just class.

"Mane is an exceptional player and a difference-maker. He has provided goals and assists with Liverpool in a way and with a regularity that few other players in the world have been able to match in recent years."

Mane's six-year stint with Liverpool has been glittered with trophies, including the Premier League title in 2019-20 and the Champions League in 2018-19.

Sadio Mane's imminent move to Bayern Munich will represent a boost not only for the German champions but the Bundesliga as a whole, according to the forward's former Liverpool team-mate Loris Karius.

Mane is set to join Bayern after Julian Nagelsmann's club agreed a €41million (£35.2million) deal to sign the dynamic attacker last week.

The Senegal international, who has helped his country to the Africa Cup of Nations title and World Cup qualification as well as winning two domestic cups with Liverpool in 2022, had just one year remaining on his contract at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp will offload Mane, who scored 23 goals in all competitions in the 2021-22 season, after signing Benfica forward Darwin Nunez last week.

Karius, who joined Liverpool in the same 2016 transfer window as Mane, believes the 30-year-old will have no issues settling in at the Allianz Arena.

"It would be a crazy transfer for Bayern, because he's one of the top players at Liverpool," the goalkeeper told Sky Sports in Germany.

"If Bayern Munich manages to sign someone like him, then you can only congratulate them and the Bundesliga too. It would be another star in the league, so I would be very happy for the Bundesliga.

"Sadio Mane is very reserved, very down to earth. He also speaks a bit of German from his time in [RB] Salzburg. I've always got along very well with him, actually everyone. Should he come to Germany, he won't have any problems adapting."

Karius' own permanent Liverpool departure was only announced earlier this month, with the German having featured 49 times for the Reds after joining from Mainz.

Now aged 28 and having made his most recent competitive appearance during a loan spell at Union Berlin in February 2021, Karius is looking forward to finding a new home, but remains grateful for his time at Liverpool.

"There were ups and downs. It's part of the game, that's football, but I've developed as a person," he said.

Karius added: "I'll take my determination with me to my next job.

"It's about having a good feeling. The club can be in Germany, but also abroad. I just have to feel that the chemistry with those responsible is right, that they have a good feeling about me, and I have a good feeling with them."

Miroslav Klose pointed to the influence of Hansi Flick on his fledgling touchline career as the World Cup record-breaker began his first job as a head coach.

Germany great Klose has taken over as boss of Austrian Bundesliga team SCR Altach. The player whose career haul of 16 World Cup goals remains unmatched was presented to the media on Monday.

The 44-year-old Klose had a spell as an assistant with the Germany national team during Joachim Low's tenure, and worked at Bayern Munich under Flick in the 2020-21 campaign, having previously spent two years with the Bavarians' under-17 team.

Bayern won the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies in the season when Klose was involved in the first-team squad. Flick then departed to become Germany boss, and Klose also left.

"I learned a lot from Flick, he's fantastic in every respect," Klose said.

Altach narrowly avoided relegation in the 2021-22 season, and Klose's impact will be closely watched.

He said: "I'm incredibly happy. I am full of anticipation and have been received in a very friendly manner. I'm able to work where others go on holiday.

"I have a lot of hard work ahead of me. It is important the team shows heart and passion. We have to work out everything step by step, so it's also important that the team communicates with me."

Klose said he would allow himself "time to develop" as a coach, declaring the team must have targets without yet identifying those.

"I don't know how fast that will go. But I think it's incredibly important to have goals," Klose said. "I put myself under a lot of pressure. I have clear ideas. It will be a tough road. I probably need to lower my expectations."

Klose won 137 caps and scored a record 71 goals in a distinguished Germany career, in which he reached the finals of the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2008, before helping Die Mannschaft win the World Cup in 2014.

The winner of the Golden Shoe at the 2006 tournament on home soil also played elite club football with Bayern, Lazio, Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen.

Robert Lewandowski will have to fulfil his contractual obligations and accept Bayern Munich's decision to keep him amid interest from Barcelona.

That is the message from former Bayern president Uli Hoeness, who also lamented the rulings of the Bundesliga restricting the German top flight from competing in Europe.

Lewandowski has made his intentions to leave Bayern clear, declaring his story with Julian Nagelsmann's side "over" despite having 12 months left on his contract.

Barcelona are widely regarded to be the striker's preferred destination.

Despite Bayern's stance on Lewandowski, Stats Perform understands that the Bundesliga champions have struck a deal with Liverpool to sign Sadio Mane, which might clear the way for the Poland forward to leave.

However, there remains questions to the finances behind a Barca deal for Lewandowski, with Bayern reluctant to sell and the Catalan club battling well-documented financial issues.

Hoeness, who retired as Bayern president in November 2019 after 49 years with the club as player and in management, says Lewandowski can have no complaints over Bayern's decision should they elect to remain steadfast on their wish to keep him.

"[He has] joined the position of FC Bayern: that is, to exercise the right to have the contract fulfilled if no alternative is found," Hoeness said in an interview with G14 Plus.

"I assume that Robert will accept it in the end."

While the transfer speculation continues with Lewandowski, Hoeness also expressed his disappointment with the Bundesliga.

Bayern claimed their record 10th straight title in the 2021-22 campaign, with Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig offering little to challenge at the summit.

German sides have won the Champions League just twice in the last 10 years – Bayern doing so in 2013 and 2020 – and Hoeness suggested this is due to the 50+1 ownership rule.

The German Football League (DFL) ruling stipulates clubs will not be allowed to play in the Bundesliga if commercial investors have more than a 49 per cent stake, diminishing the power of potential investors.

"If the Bundesliga – this does not apply to Bayern Munich – does not think about abolishing the 50+1 rule, we will have big problems in being able to keep up internationally in the long term," Hoeness added.

Bayern Munich have confirmed the sale of defender Lars Lukas Mai to Swiss side FC Lugano.

Mai spent eight years at the Bavarian club after joining as a youth player from Dynamo Dresden in 2014 and made two Bundesliga appearances in the 2017-18 season.

The 22-year-old centre-back spent the past two seasons on loan at Darmstadt and Werder Bremen, and he has now sealed a permanent move to Lugano. 

Hasan Salihamidzic, Bayern's sporting director, said in a statement on Saturday: "Lars Lukas joined FC Bayern at the age of 14 and is a good example of the excellent youth development work in our academy.

"He gained two years of experience in our first-team squad, then match practice in Darmstadt and Bremen, and he will now show his qualities in the Swiss top flight.

"Our aim is always to devise a suitable career plan for our youth players. We've succeeded in doing so with Lars Lukas, and Lugano can look forward to a very accomplished defender. We wish him all the best and much success."

Bayern also confirmed the sale of midfielder Marc Roca to Leeds United on Friday for a reported fee of €11.6million (£10m).

Marc Roca sealed a move to Leeds United on Friday and promised his two seasons with Bayern Munich have hardened him for the challenge of the Premier League.

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder has joined Leeds for a reported £10million after struggling to establish himself in the Bayern first team.

He will be reunited with former Spain Under-21 team-mate Junior Firpo at Elland Road, as head coach Jesse Marsch rebuilds his squad after a close brush with relegation.

Roca described playing for Bayern, for whom he featured in 24 competitive games, as "something I will never forget".

In a message posted on Twitter, Roca said: "I take with me 2 Bundesligas, 1 Club World Cup and 1 German Super Cup. But the most important things I take with me are great friends, unforgettable experiences, personal and professional growth and that victory lies in perseverance, hard work and never giving up.

"I leave Munich but Bayern will stay with me forever."

That hard-work ethic will come in handy at Leeds, where the midfield was often found wanting in last season's difficult Premier League campaign.

It remains to be seen whether Roca has been signed to replace Manchester City target Kalvin Phillips, but noises from the club have suggested that is not the case.

Roca, who joined Bayern from Espanyol in October 2020, has agreed a four-year contract at Leeds, where he will find three fellow Spaniards in the first-team squad: Firpo, Diego Llorente and Rodrigo.

The new recruit, whose deal will take effect from July 1, told Leeds' official website: "My first steps were in Spain, then I played in Germany, now it is time to join Leeds and play here in the Premier League. 

"Everyone told me the Premier League is the best league in the world and the history of Leeds United is amazing, I hope we can do good things here.

"I have spoken with Junior Firpo, I played with him in the Spanish Under-21 national team, now it's time to talk with Rodrigo and Diego Llorente as well. Then I can meet all my new team-mates and I can't wait to start playing.

"Junior told me it's an incredible club with an amazing atmosphere in the stadium and that the team-mates here are incredible, the locker room is incredible and for that I am very happy."

Miroslav Klose has secured his first senior job as a head coach after taking over as boss of Austrian Bundesliga team SCR Altach.

The appointment of the Germany great, whose career haul of 16 World Cup goals remains a competition record, was announced on Friday.

The news was portrayed as a surprise appointment in Austria. Altach said Klose will sign his contract on Sunday and be presented on Monday.

Klose, the 44-year-old former striker, retired from playing in 2016 after five years with Serie A side Lazio and has since had spells working as an assistant with the Germany national team, and at Bayern Munich.

He was head coach of the Bayern under-17 team for two seasons and served as first-team assistant to Hansi Flick in the 2020-21 campaign.

Altach said in a statement that Klose's former Bayern coaching colleague Slaven Skeledzic would become an assistant coach, once his release from the German champions, where he remains employed, can be secured.

Klose said of his challenge: "I'm really looking forward to my new job here in Altach. It was just that positive feeling right from the start that I have to have, that I'm in the right place here.

"The first discussions with those in charge were so open that it was clear to me that I want to do this. Now I can hardly wait to get to know the team, the people in the club and of course the fans."

Klose won two Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal doubles during four years as a player with Bayern, from 2007 to 2011.

He won 137 caps and scored a record 71 goals in a distinguished Germany career, in which he reached the finals of the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2008, before helping Die Mannschaft win the World Cup in 2014.

The winner of the Golden Shoe at the 2006 tournament on home soil also played elite club football with Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen.

Altach managing director Christoph Langle offered assurance that the club were not merely attracted by Klose's high profile.

Langle said: "Miro Klose is a very big name in football. But it's not about the name for us, it's about Miro Klose's personality, his skills as a coach and what is very important to us at SCR Altach: the people.

"Known as a hard, down-to-earth worker, Miroslav has risen to world class. The values ​​he stands for are a perfect match for our club and his football skills are undisputed anyway."

Sadio Mane will join Bayern Munich in a €41million (£35.2million) deal after Liverpool agreed to sell the Senegal international to the Bundesliga champions.

Mane became a prime target for Julian Nagelsmann's side, with Liverpool rejecting early offers for the forward, who had just 12 months to run on his contract at Anfield.

When Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp brought in Benfica star Darwin Nunez for a reported fee of £64million (€75m), with a further £21.4m (€25m) in potential add-ons, it left the door open for Mane to depart.

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse encouraged Mane to join Bayern as "the best fit" for his career, and Nagelsmann's club have finally struck a deal to suit all parties.

Stats Perform understands Liverpool will receive an assured sum of €32million (£27.5m), plus €6million (£5.2m) based on appearances and a further €3million (£2.5m) depending on future success that Mane and Bayern achieve.

Bayern's opening offer to Liverpool is understood to have been €25million (£21.5m) plus €5million (£4.3m) in add-ons that were all tied in to Mane and Bayern's success.

Mane scored 90 goals in 196 Premier League games for Liverpool after joining from Southampton in 2016.

Only Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (104), Mane's Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Tottenham's Harry Kane (134) have managed more in the competition across that period.

Mane also played 51 games for Liverpool in the 2021-22 season – only 10 players across Europe's top five leagues appeared more often – finding the net 23 times and assisting two more.

That was not enough to help Klopp's side to Premier League or Champions League success, but Mane did manage to lift the EFL Cup and FA Cup trophies with the Reds in his final season at the club.

Mane won the Premier League and Champions League during his time with the Reds, as well as the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

His arrival in Bavaria leaves questions over the future of Bayern talisman Robert Lewandowski, who declared his story with Nagelsmann's side "over" as he pushes for a move to Barcelona.

Bayern Munich face a tricky early test when they begin their Bundesliga title defence at Eintracht Frankfurt in the season's opening game on August 5.

Whether the champions still have Robert Lewandowski in their ranks come that date remains to be seen, as the prolific Polish striker pushes for a move away, and there could be turbulent times for the Bavarian giants before the game comes around.

Frankfurt won the Europa League in the 2021-22 season, while Bayern have landed 10 consecutive Bundesliga titles, making it a tasty appetiser for the new campaign.

It will be the first time in the history of the Bundesliga that the reigning champions will have come up against the UEFA Cup or Europa League holders on matchday one, Opta said.

Frankfurt finished a modest 11th in last season's German top flight, with their form in Europe offering a striking contrast to their domestic fortunes.

They will hope that home advantage proves significant, and history tells us that Bundesliga champions can struggle early on. Teams beginning the defence of their Bundesliga title have started with an away fixture in 21 league seasons and have lost 10 of them (W6 D5).

While Julian Nagelsmann's Bayern and Oliver Glasner's Frankfurt get the season under way with their Friday night game, the standout fixture on the opening weekend is set to take place at Signal Iduna Park as Borussia Dortmund host Bayer Leverkusen.

That is a clash of the teams that finished second and third respectively last season. Dortmund will be starting life without Erling Haaland, the prolific striker who has elected to move on to Manchester City, with Karim Adeyemi signed from Salzburg as his replacement.

Strong starters in recent seasons, Dortmund have won each of their last seven Bundesliga openers.

RB Leipzig head to Stuttgart on the first weekend of the campaign, while promoted Schalke and Werder Bremen both face away trips as they tackle Cologne and Wolfsburg respectively.

Bayern face further August fixtures against Wolfsburg, Bochum and Borussia Monchengladbach, with the first Klassiker of the season against Dortmund scheduled for the long weekend of October 7-10. Dortmund will have home advantage for that one, with Bayern then hosting BVB over the weekend of March 31 to April 3.

Bayern Munich will look for a record-extending 11th Bundesliga title in the 2022-23 campaign, with Borussia Dortmund or RB Leipzig the likely challengers to stop them.

Julian Nagelsmann's side sealed the 2021-22 championship with three games left to play after a 3-1 victory over fierce rivals Dortmund in late April.

The Bundesliga champions have to wait until matchday nine for the first Der Klassiker league meeting, with that clash to be played at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park between October 7 and October 10.

Nagelsmann's side will then hope to have gained an advantage in the league before they head for their first league game against Leipzig, away in January after the World Cup has taken place.

Bayern beat Dortmund three times across the German top flight and DFL-Supercup last season, and the return meeting will take place at Allianz Arena between March 31 and April 3.

The Bavaria giants will again hope to wrap up the title with games to spare, with a potentially tricky task at home to Leipzig their penultimate game before concluding their campaign away to Cologne.

Bayern's 2022-23 Bundesliga fixtures in full:
 

05/08/2022 - Eintracht Frankfurt (a)
12/08/2022 - Wolfsburg (h)
19/08/2022 - Bochum (a)
26/08/2022 - Borussia Monchengladbach (h)
02/09/2022 - Union Berlin (a)
09/09/2022 - Stuttgart (h)
16/09/2022 - Augsburg (a)
30/09/2022 - Bayer Leverkusen (h)
07/10/2022 - Borussia Dortmund (a)
14/10/2022 - Freiburg (h)
21/10/2022- Hoffenheim (a)
28/10/2022 - Mainz (h)
04/11/2022 - Hertha (a)
08/11/2022 - Werder Bremen (h)
11/11/2022 - Schalke (a)
20/01/2023 - RB Leipzig (a)
24/01/2023 - Cologne (h)
27/01/2023 - Eintracht Frankfurt (h)
03/02/2023 - Wolfsburg (a)
10/02/2023 - Bochum (h)
17/02/2023 - Borussia Monchengladbach (a)
24/02/2023 - Union Berlin (h)
03/03/2023 - Stuttgart (a)
10/03/2023 - Augsburg (h)
17/03/2023 - Bayer Leverkusen (a)
31/03/2023 - Borussia Dortmund (h)
08/04/2023 - Freiburg (a)
14/04/2023 - Hoffenheim (h)
21/04/2023 - Mainz (a)
28/04/2023 - Hertha (h)
05/05/2023 - Werder Bremen (a)
12/05/2023 - Schalke (h)
19/05/2023 - RB Leipzig (h)
27/05/2023 - Cologne (a)

The midfield appears to be the primary business agenda for Manchester United this off-season amid Erik ten Hag's rebuild.

With Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata already leaving Old Trafford this off-season, incoming transfers in the centre of the park appear a certainty.

As such, Ten Hag reportedly has his eyes on midfielders who are known quantities to him.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD NOT VEERING FROM DE JONG PLANS

Frenkie de Jong appears to be Manchester United's primary transfer target, according to the Daily Mail.

While Donny van de Beek is set to return and others are linked to Old Trafford, it is understood talks are continuing between the Red Devils and Barcelona.

Though no formal bid has placed for the 25-year-old, he is rated at £70million (€80.4m) despite failing to provide a return on investment at the Camp Nou.

While De Jong appears intent to stay in Barcelona, he might have to be sacrificed to allow the cash-strapped club room to manoeuvre.

ROUND-UP

– Meanwhile, the Red Devils have made an offer to sign Christian Eriksen, according to the Athletic.

– Bayern Munich are preparing another offer for Sadio Mane after Liverpool rejected their previous two, Bild reports.

– Richarlison has turned down an approach from Arsenal, with Tottenham and Chelsea his preferred destinations, per UOL Esporte.

– Real Madrid are close to agreeing a new contract with Vinicius Junior, Goal is reporting.

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Netherlands midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax.

The 20-year-old has joined the Bundesliga champions for a reported fee of €19million plus a further €6m in add-ons, signing a five-year deal.

He becomes the second Ajax player to sign for Bayern in recent weeks, with Moroccan full-back Noussair Mazraoui also moving to the Allianz Arena.

Gravenberch made 103 appearances in all competitions for Ajax, scoring 12 goals, having come through the club's world-famous youth system.

He also played in all eight of Ajax's Champions League games this season, making 376 passes at a completion rate of 88.8 per cent.

Gravenberch also took more shots at goal (four) than all but two of his team-mates, with only Antony (eight) and Mazraoui (five) attempting more.

Speaking to Bayern's website after his signing was confirmed, Gravenberch said: "When the offer came from FC Bayern, I didn't have to think about it for long. FC Bayern are one of the biggest clubs around; players from all over the world want to play for this club.

"I'm coming to Munich to win lots of titles - and FC Bayern are used to winning lots of titles.

"Anything is possible with this club, including winning the Champions League. The togetherness in this team is very strong, which I like."

Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn added: "Ryan Gravenberch is a young, highly interesting player who lots of Europe's top clubs would've liked to have signed.

"He's chosen FC Bayern because he can develop at the highest level here. Players with his qualities are important for Bayern's future path."

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has been encouraged to sign for Bayern Munich by his Senegal coach Aliou Cisse.

Mane has been strongly linked with a move to the Bundesliga champions, with just 12 months left to run on his current contract at Anfield.

The Premier League club are said to have turned down two advances from Bayern for the 30-year-old, who has lifted six major trophies in as many seasons with the Reds.

The Senegal international hinted at wanting a move away when on international duty and Cisse believes Bayern represent the best option for Mane's career if he is to leave Liverpool.

"I tell my boys to try to work out the contract issues so that when their respective championships resume, they will have already found a base," Cisse told reporters.

"I heard about Sadio at Bayern. For me, it is a club that is of its standing. Bayern is intense, pressing football with a German coach.

"Sadio played in Salzburg in Austria, which is a border country, and that means he is not going into unknown territory.

"For me, the club where he will feel the best is Bayern."

Mane has scored 90 goals in 196 Premier League games for Liverpool since joining from Southampton in 2016.

Only Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (104), team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Tottenham's Harry Kane (134) have managed more in the competition across that period.

Jurgen Klopp's side appear to be close to signing Benfica forward Darwin Nunez as a replacement for Mane.

But Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic has suggested the German side are considering multiple options in the transfer market, with the Mane move far from a certainty.

Robbie Keane has questioned why any player would swap Liverpool for Bayern Munich amid strong speculation that Sadio Mane could be on his way to the German champions.

Bayern are reported to have had a second bid of €35.3million (£30m), a part of which is made up of bonus-related add-ons, rejected by Liverpool earlier this week.

Mane has won six major trophies across his six seasons at Anfield and has another 12 months to run on his contract.

However, speaking while away on international duty with Senegal last week, the 30-year-old hinted he is open to departing the English giants this window.

But ex-Liverpool striker Keane has suggested Mane would be making a backwards step in his career if he moves from the Premier League runners-up to the Bundesliga winners.

"If Mane goes obviously it's a big loss for Liverpool," Keane told Stats Perform at a media day ahead of his participation in Sunday's Soccer Aid charity match.

"If the rumours are true and he goes to Bayern Munich, it's a great signing for them. It looks like they're going to lose [Robert] Lewandowski. 

"I can't really see why would you leave Liverpool to go to Bayern Munich at this moment in time.

"Especially when you got a manager like Jurgen Klopp and what they're doing at the moment in winning two cups, and could've easily won four of them. 

"I'm surprised by it. Obviously he's a top, top player. I'm sure, wherever he goes, any team will be happy with him."

Mane has scored 90 goals in 196 Premier League appearances for Liverpool since joining from Southampton for £34m at the start of the 2016-17 campaign.

Only Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (104), Liverpool colleague Mohamed Salah (118) and Tottenham's Harry Kane (134) have scored more in the competition in that period.

He would undoubtedly leave a huge void to be filled, but Jurgen Klopp's side appear to be close to signing Benfica forward Darwin Nunez as a likely replacement.

Nunez has scored 48 goals in 85 games for Benfica in all competitions, 61 of those being starts, and averaged 1.2 goals every 90 minutes in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season.

That compares to 0.5 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League for Mane, albeit across six more matches in the 2021-22 season and in what is a tougher division.

Keane, who spent a season at Anfield in 2008-09, believes Nunez will provide something a little different for Liverpool should a deal be agreed with Benfica.

"I've watched him a few times and I think he's a good player," Keane said. "He's obviously young and he's more of a number nine, which Liverpool haven't had for a few years.

"They have [Roberto] Firmino, of course, but Firmino drops into 10. They haven't had a typical number nine. 

"So it'll bring a bit more of a target man up there who others can play off. I think it will be a good signing."

Keane is also looking forward to playing in this weekend's Soccer Aid in association with UNICEF, a charity match that will help raise money to give kids the best start in life.

"We're here so UNICEF can raise as much money as possible, which is an incredible cause," he said.

"What they've done over the last 11-12 years, the amount of money they've raised is incredible. But it's also good to come here and mix with completely different people."

Alexandre Lacazette has urged Corentin Tolisso to follow his lead by returning to Lyon.

Lacazette, 31, was presented as a Lyon player on Thursday after the club confirmed he is re-joining from Arsenal when his Gunners contract expires at the end of June.

The France striker spent five years in north London after leaving Lyon in 2017 in a deal the Ligue 1 club claim was worth €60million (£51.3m).

It was confirmed on Thursday that he has signed a three-year deal with his former club, though it would seem he may not be the only Lyon youth product to return to the Groupama Stadium.

Tolisso left for Bayern Munich the same year Lacazette departed, and while he won a host of titles, including five Bundesliga crowns and the Champions League, his spell in Germany was an injury-interrupted disappointment.

Only once did he manage to appear in more than half of Bayern's league games, and it was confirmed at the end of May that Tolisso, 27, was to depart at the end of June once his contract had finished.

And, speaking during his presentation, Lacazette told the midfielder where he should head next.

He said: "Above all, I want to help the club get back to the top of the pile. I spoke with the coach, he called me last week. He told me what he expected of me. I don't need the armband to talk in the locker room.

"There have been many changes since I left. The club is progressing well. Anthony [Lopes], he's been writing to me every week for six months to find out if I've made my decision. I also push for Corentin Tolisso to come back."

Lacazette's return means he could yet become Lyon's all-time leading goalscorer.

During his first spell at the club, he netted 129 times – the record, set by Fleury Di Nallo in 1974, is 222.

He could not hide that the record is at the back of his mind but stressed it is not his main objective.

"I thank the president, Vincent [Ponsot, director of football] and Bruno [Cheyrou, technical director], but above all for the welcome and the love you have shown me in recent weeks. It was obvious to me [to return]," he said.

"Despite the absence of the Champions League, the project was more important than anything else.

"I felt I could be useful in the locker room and on the pitch in this project, so it was the best decision.

"It's exciting to come back. I can't wait to start the season. I have progressed in my leadership, I gained experience.

"The ranking of goalscorers in OL's history is in the back of my head, but it's not the priority."