Liverpool set to miss out on Lyon striker Alexander Lacazette after club president says 'we are not selling'

Liverpool are set to miss out on signing reported striker target Alexander Lacazette after the Lyon president Jean Michel-Aulas confirmed that the striker will not be sold.

According to the Mirror, the Reds were targeting the French striker to ease their problems in front of goal and get their season kick-started after a dismal start in the Premier League.

Brendan Rodgers's team have been a shadow of themselves following the departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and Daniel Sturridge's continued injury struggle, as the team have not been able to find the back of the net consistently.

Summer arrivals Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli have failed to live up to expectations, with the Italian yet to score a goal for the Merseyside club in the Premier League.

This has prompted the Northern Irishman to start looking at alternative options to improve their front line during the upcoming January transfer window.

Rodgers had identified 23-year-old Lyon striker, who was also linked to Arsenal in the summer, as the player he wants to bring in to bolster his front line. Lacazette has been in impressive form this season and his 17 goals in 19 Ligue 1 games have helped take the French club up to second spot in the league over the winter break.

However, the president of the Ligue 1 club has poured cold water on Rodgers' plans after categorically stating that the club will not let the striker leave even if a big offer comes in from interested clubs.

"I've made up my mind: we're not selling," Michel-Aulas said, as quoted by the Mirror.

"A big offer may come in, but it's a question of strategy. We have just invested more than €400 million on a new stadium and it would make no sense to sell our best players, who can bring us Champions League football," the Ligue 1 club's president explained.