As reported by Metro, Alexandre Lacazette’s Russian agent Dmitry Cheltsov has claimed that the forward has a £61 million release clause in his current contract at Arsenal. He was even offered to Zenit St. Petersburg in the summer.
“I offered Alexandre Lacazette to Zenit,” Cheltsov told Sport Business Gazeta. ‘Their sporting director Javier Ribalta said to me: ‘Are you crazy? His release clause is €68m [£61m].”.
While Lacazette ended up staying at the Emirates, could his potential departure faze Arsenal?
How has Lacazette performed in the Premier League
Lacazette initially arrived at Arsenal back in 2017, in a €53 million move from Olympique Lyonnais. He was one of Europe’s best strikers at that time, netting 129 goals in 275 matches for the French outfit. And the forward settled in rather quickly in the Premier League, scoring eight goals in his first 15 league matches.
But, he struggled to find the back of the net consistently midway through the 2017/18 campaign, despite a strong end to the season. Either way, the Frenchman ended up netting 14 goals in his debut season in the Premier League and 13 in the following campaign.
This season, however, Lacazette has struggled with injuries and has featured in only three matches, though he scored two goals.
Should Arsenal keep hold of the Aubameyang, Lacazette duo
It’s hard to deny that Lacazette’s overall game has improved following the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The ex-Lyon star has become more industrious while his link-up play has improved.
This is backed up by statistics as well as Lacazette registered ten assists in his first full season playing alongside the Gabonese international. Their pace on the break coupled with their work-ethic has added a new dimension to the Arsenal attack.
Not to mention, they have been quite productive as well, with the duo notably scoring 50% of Arsenal’s 73 goals in the Premier League last season.
Why Arsenal should extend Laca’s contract
As mentioned earlier, Lacazette has built a formidable attacking partnership with Aubameyang within the past 36 months. But most importantly, he has given Unai Emery a variety of options in the final third, with the Spaniard free to utilise either a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1.
Another reason why Arsenal should extend Lacazette’s contract is that he is one of those unique centre-forwards who work hard for their team. Indeed, the Frenchman is useful in the first line of the press, thanks to his aggression and commitment.
At the age of 28, it can be assumed that Lacazette is at the peak of his career. And his prolonged stay at the Emirates could be critical as the Gunners look to usher in a new era under Emery.
