Updated

Lyon has confirmed it rejected West Ham's 31 million pound ($45M) bid for Alexandre Lacazette, hinting the striker opted against the move.

As reported by Goal UK earlier in May, West Ham's club-record bid — its second for Lacazette, following an initial offer of £23.7 million âwas swiftly rejected by Lyon after the 24-year-old expressed a lack of interest.

West Ham is expected to return with an improved offer, with Enner Valencia likely to make way, and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says any decision on Lacazette's future is down to the player.

"For a sale to be made, all three parties must agree. We have refused several offers, the most important from West Ham for 40 million EUROS and we refused it," Aulas told Le Progres. "It is an answer that says I want to keep him, but I'm not sure because ultimately it is he who will decide.

"I do not want on Aug. 28, ahead of the Champions League, to find ourselves in the same situation as Monaco [who sold Anthony Martial to Manchester United last summer]. Ideally, he will stay. If he has an offer that he can't refuse then it will come through me, and that's it."