Gerard Houllier will not be leaving Lyon this summer to join Manchester City or any other club, the French champions said today.

City are searching for a new manager after sacking Stuart Pearce on Monday and Houllier, the former Liverpool boss, has been linked with the post along with Dutch pair Louis van Gaal and Ronald Koeman.

But Houllier looks set to stay at Lyon after they released a statement in reaction to a newspaper report which linked their manager with the coach's position at Ukraine giants Dynamo Kiev.

"Gerard Houllier formally denies the information which appeared this morning in daily newspaper Le Parisien, suggesting his departure to Dynamo Kiev for the 2007/2008 season," read the statement.

"Lyon are surprised at the publication of such claims and repeats that Gerard Houllier will next year be the coach of Lyon, with whom he is under contract until June 2008."

Houllier has won the French title in each of his two seasons at the Stade Gerland as they have claimed six championships in a row.