Arsene Wenger expects Lyon to provide Paris Saint-Germain with a sterner test in Ligue 1 next season without striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic playing for the French champions.
Ibrahimovic, 34, scored 38 league goals as Paris Saint-Germain clinched a fourth successive French title and finished with a massive 31-point advantage over second-placed Lyon.
The Sweden captain is leaving the French capital this summer, however, and Arsenal boss Wenger, 66, feels that Lyon could mount a title challenge next season.
"The supremacy of PSG is set up to last but they have lost an important player in Ibrahimovic and key players like [midfielder Thiago] Motta are older," Wenger told 20 Minutes.
"There are budding teams like Lyon.
"You have the impression that if Lyon start well, they can be closer.
"PSG will still be favourites next year but I'd say there's a small chance that Lyon could be right on their heels."
Lyon had a nightmare start to their latest campaign and finished bottom of their Champions League group.
Bruno Genesio replaced manager Hubert Fournier before the new year and their upturn in form also coincided with a move to the 60,000-capacity Parc Olympique Lyonnais in January.
Speaking at the opening of a ground named after him in the region where he grew up, Wenger said Lyon's new home will give them a big boost next year.
"Lyon built their new stadium at a time when there was already a team with young players of potential," Wenger said.
"They can afford not to invest too much for the moment. That's an advantage.
"They have cohesion, a way of doing things, a style of play. They're lacking maybe an investment in one or two big talents. But the basis is there."
Having been 11th in Ligue 1 at the start of February, Lyon recovered to finish as runners-up for the second year running.
The seven-time French champions' strong form included a win over Paris Saint-Germain in February that ended the Parisians' run of 36 league games without defeat.
They also hammered third placed Monaco 6-1 this month to secure a return to the Champions League.