LYON, March 14 (Reuters) - Olympique Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas says he is confident Juninho and Michael Essien will extend their contracts with the French champions before the end of the season.
The Brazilian and Ghanaian midfielder have caught the eye of a number of major clubs in Europe thanks to their performances in helping Lyon reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
"We want to improve year after year and to do that we need to keep our best players. I can tell you that Juninho and Essien will still be with us next season," he said.
"I met them over the last few days and I have the feeling that they are interested and that we are close to an agreement," Aulas said in an interview with Reuters.
"Regarding Essien, we are going to extend his contract so he understands he is not going to get a better deal elsewhere and will stop mulling things over."
Aulas said, however, that he was still waiting for a decision from coach Paul Le Guen who is under contract until the end of the season and has yet to sign a new deal.
"I said in December that I thought qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League would help him to make up his mind. When I said that there was no deadline and there is still no deadline," he said.
"The dearest wish of the board of directors and of the chairman is that Paul signs a new contract," he added.
After winning 17 caps for France and the European Cup Winners Cup, French championship and three French Cups with Paris St Germain as a player, Le Guen made his coaching debut at Stade Rennes and joined Lyon in 2002 succeeding Jacques Santini.
Under his coaching, Lyon won the Ligue 1 title in 2003 and 2004 and are top of the table this season with an eight-point lead over Olympique Marseille.
