Hale End graduate and former Arsenal captain now face transfer decisions after shock ruling

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Arsenal have a number of former players excelling at top clubs across Europe, but two have now been handed tough decisions.

Olympique Lyonnais are one of the biggest clubs in France, and Arsenal have a lot of shared history with the seven-time Ligue 1 winners.

However, Lyon have fallen on hard times recently, and their dire financial situation is reaching a disastrous point.

Lyon have now been handed a provisional relegation from Ligue 1 and a transfer ban, unless they can sell enough first-team players to fix their situation, and this will now affect former Arsenal stars Alexandre Lacazette and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

• READ MORE: A timeline of every Arsenal captain during the Premier League era from Tony Adams to Martin Odegaard

Former Arsenal stars may need transfers after Lyon handed provisional relegation

Lyon’s provisional relegation is a seismic ruling given the size of the club, who are still competing in the Europa League.

Former Arsenal captain Alexandre Lacazette is a Lyon legend. Arsenal signed him from the French giants for a club record £52m fee in 2017, and the striker returned there upon his departure in 2022.

Maitland-Niles came through the Hale End Academy, and he moved to Lyon on a free transfer after he left Arsenal in the summer of 2023.

With Lyon now desperate to sell players, both Lacazette and Maitland-Niles could be forced to move in January, but this may not suit either player.

Could Alexandre Lacazette and Ainsley Maitland-Niles leave Lyon?

Lacazette has made 363 appearances for Lyon, and has scored 187 goals in that time. At 33, even if they are relegated, it seems likely that his loyalty will keep him there.

The Frenchman was briefly Arsenal’s captain after the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2022, and as Lyon’s captain now, the current situation represents arguably the most difficult period of his career.

Maitland-Niles was once one of Arsenal’s top talents, but he failed to gain consistent minutes under Mikel Arteta, and a few unproductive loan spells did not help.

The Englishman has finally found consistent form at Lyon, having started eight of their 11 Ligue 1 matches this season across a variety of positions, and he may be frustrated that having settled at the French giants, he may need to uproot and move again.