French champions Lyon will seek to recruit three top-level players in the off-season, president Jean-Michel Aulas said Friday, confirming that Gerard Houllier would continue to coach the club.

"There could be seven to eight players leaving," Aulas said. "For the moment only Eric Abidal has come to see me with the aim of leaving.

"Otherwise, Gerard Houllier has asked me for three 'big names' and we're working on that. If he's asking that, it's for no other coach than him," Aulas told the Le Progress newspaper.