French champions Lyon have distanced themselves from the Bakari Kone transfer saga by insisting they have no interest in signing the player.

Nice forward Kone has been missing from training since Sunday and has threatened never to return after his club rejected a bid from Marseille of 8.5million euros plus an extra million in bonuses.

Reports in newspaper L'Equipe suggest Nice proposed a counter offer of 9million plus a million in bonuses as well as 15% of any resale, but this has been knocked back by OM.

On Tuesday night Nice president Cohen told reporters that Marseille had had their last chance to sign the 26-year-old, and revealed there were other sides interested in the player with whom he would negotiate.

It is believed one of those sides may be Lyon, who could use Kone as a replacement should Sidney Govou leave Les Gones.

However, a statement on their website read: "Olympique Lyonnais are keen to issue a formal denial regarding any contact with OGC Nice for the transfer of Baky Kone, and would also like to remind people that coach Claude Puel has recently confirmed that he is counting on Sidney Govou in his plans."

Kone announced on Wednesday that he was considering not returning to Nice as he felt the directors had betrayed his good faith.

Last year he agreed a new contract which stipulated he could leave this summer for a fee representative of his market value.

Nice believe this fee to be between 10 to 12million euros, declaring on their website, www.ogcnice.fr, that they are "opposed to allowing the player leave for a price that does not match his value".