Lyon adviser Bernard Lacombe has admitted the club may be powerless to prevent Karim Benzema joining Manchester United.
Lacombe, who acts as a special adviser to club president Jean-Michel Aulas, knows that the 21-year-old France striker is currently under contract with the Ligue 1 side.
But, having seen Michael Essien leave for Chelsea for £24.4m in 2005, Lacombe admits they may have little hope of retaining Benzema if United make a bid.
"He is with us, but nobody knows what will happen,” he told Progres.
“We didn’t think Michael Essien would leave at the time, but when Chelsea arrived with the cheque...
“If Manchester, who as we know have plenty of cash available, want to buy Benzema, what can you do?”
Lacombe also revealed that Porto striker Lisandro Lopez is a target for the club and compared the player to Carlos Tevez.
However, he ruled out a move for Valencia striker Fernando Morientes as he believes he is past his prime.