Jean-Michel Aulas hinted at the weekend that retirement isn’t too far away from him.
The Lyon chairman is now 69 years of age and believes 75 is a good time to call it a day.
After building himself a computer empire, and the associated fortune, Aulas then moved into football and has built up a reputation as a tough negotiator.
Along with Tottenham’s Daniel Levy, the Frenchman has a string of good deals behind him, both relating to exits and arrivals. The two have locked horns themselves, with Aulas unhappy with how the negotiations for Hugo Lloris went.
The pair made up prior to the transfer of Clinton Njie (perhaps Aulas knew) when the Lyon boss praised the Tottenham negotiator for putting a respectful offer forward.
Spain’s El Mundo have taken a look at Aulas’ life today and they’ve spoken to a ‘veteran’ intermediary, who explained the difference between the pair: “He (Aulas) always wins. His is a different style from Daniel Levy, president of Tottenham, because with Aulas you have the feeling that there are no losers in the operation. Although it is he who comes away with it.”
That’s a rather a good skill for Aulas to have, and perhaps he used it during the Njie deal.
