Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has said wantaway striker Fred can leave the club after the Brazil international finally returned following the winter break.

The 24-year-old has been linked with Paris St Germain along with West Ham, Tottenham, Manchester City and Middlesbrough. Rumours have reached fever pitch after he arrived back at Les Gones eight days later than his team-mates.

"We knew that he would come back," Aulas told Lyon's official website. "We just didn't know when because he took his usual route of doing things differently to others.

"If he wants to leave he can do so. We have had enquiries about him of which one is from PSG.

"We'll take the time to discuss things with him. It's in his interest to find a club which will play him more and value him."

Fred has outlined his desire to leave the Stade Gerland after losing his place in the starting line-up to in-form France striker Karim Benzema and playing just 366 minutes of first-team football this season.

Aulas reckons there will be little difficulty in securing a move for the striker and would prefer to see Fred stay in France rather than move to England, but ruled out any loan deal for the striker.

"There will be no difficulty," he added. "He will be wanted by many clubs. A young Brazil international is a rarity in the market.

"In the interest of French football we have to have a big club in Paris. We need PSG to develop and for that they need a certain number of big players.

"Other great Brazilian players have been successful there."

"As vice-president of the Ligue de Football Professionnel, and for the value of television rights, I would prefer Fred to stay in France," he said.

"That's the reason we're ready to do what we can to help him secure a move to PSG.

"However, there is no possibility of us loaning him out."

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