According to Football.London, as cited by Daily Star, Alexandre Lacazette is currently weighing up his options after it was reported that Barcelona were interested in his services. The Frenchman is aware of the Catalan club’s interest, and it is believed that he could leave Arsenal should they fail to secure Champions League qualification next season.
Lacazette’s success at Arsenal
Lacazette joined Arsenal in the summer of 2017, in a €53 million move from Olympique Lyonnais. He was one of the most prolific strikers in the Ligue 1 at that time, and expectations were high. And the 28-year-old didn’t disappoint either, scoring 14 goals in 32 matches in his debut Premier League campaign.
Although a tally of 14 goals may seem rather unimpressive, it was Lacazette’s overall work-rate that caught the eye. The Frenchman’s ingenuity was rather evident and backed up by statistics the following campaign as he netted 13 goals in 35 matches.
Even though his goal count dropped, the ex-Lyon prodigy registered ten assists, which is quite impressive for a centre-forward. He has started this new season on a positive note as well, scoring two goals in three matches.
Why Arsenal should cash in on Lacazette
Lacazette’s contributions in the attack have been somewhat overshadowed following the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the start of last year. The forward was brought in from Borussia Dortmund, and he quickly became a hit as well. He scored ten goals in just 13 matches during the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign.
Last season, Aubameyang found the back of the net 22 times in just 36 matches, ending the campaign as the Premier League’s joint topscorer alongside Liverpool duo of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. And with two prolific strikers upfront, it’s quite natural for managers to employ a 4-4-2 formation.
However, Unai Emery has never really managed to successfully implement that set up and line up these two players in attack together. Instead, the Spaniard has often opted to deploy Aubameyang on the left flank, though it’s understandable given the lack of depth in that position.
That being said, the departure of Lacazette could pave the way for Aubameyang to start in his preferred number nine role. It’s a much more viable option especially now, with Arsenal signing Nicolas Pepe this summer while Reiss Nelson returned from loan. Hence, they have adequate options in the wide-attacking role.
Given Lacazette’s form in the Premier League, the Frenchman is likely to cost a fortune. And Arsenal could certainly use that cash to complete their squad overhaul under Emery next summer as he prepares to usher in a new era at the Emirates. Maybe signing a Van Dijk esque defender would overnight turn them into title contenders?
