Saint-Etienne have brought in six players in the close season - the latest coming on Friday when defender Sylvain Monsoreau joined from Monaco - but Mirallas remains the missing piece in the jigsaw.

ASSE claim the Belgium international, who shone in the second half of last season for Lille, wants to join them but they know they may have to hold fire for a few months.

When asked if the club's transfer activity was over for the summer, Saint-Etienne spokesman Laurent Petit said: "There remains the subject of Keven Mirallas, which doesn't depend on us.

"The player wishes to come to Saint-Etienne but he is currently at the Olympic Games.

"We are going to do all we can to get him to join us. If LOSC refuse, given that there is still a year left on his contract, he can only sign for us from next January."