According to El Nacional, Arsenal are asking €10 million for Alexandre Lacazette. The forward has emerged as a top target for newly-appointed FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez. The Gunners are willing to offload Lacazette in January and the deal could gather pace, with Barca president Joan Laporta prepared to meet Arsenal’s demands.
Lacazette’s Current Role At Arsenal
Alexandre Lacazette has never really managed to impose himself during his spell at Arsenal. The forward has largely lived under the shadow of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and despite the Gabonese international’s struggles in recent years, he has failed to assert himself under Mikel Arteta.
Lacazette was Arsenal’s best striker under the Spaniard last season, with his 13 goals proving to be vital in helping the Gunners achieve an eighth-placed finish. This time around, the Frenchman has started the season slowly, with just six appearances.
Aubameyang has been favoured by Arteta, as the club’s leading forward, even though the former Dortmund star has netted only four times in ten matches. However, Lacazette has been a major part of the Arsenal attack lately, notably featuring in a makeshift number ten role, behind Aubameyang.
The forward has largely operated in a supporting role, impressing the onlookers with his work ethic and technical brilliance. However, he has scored just one goal so far and has rarely featured in a full game for Arsenal.
The 4th Official uses images provided by the following image agency:
Getty Images (https://www.gettyimages.de/)
Imago Images (https://www.imago-images.de/)
Should Arsenal Let Him Go?
Arsenal have done well to utilise Lacazette, who has been in decline for several years now. The Frenchman’s contributions have certainly been critical during the club’s upward trend in recent months.
However, the former Olympique Lyon star does not offer any prospects for the future. His lack of productivity also hurts a team that has scored very few goals under Arteta. It is an issue, especially at a time when Aubameyang is struggling to find his goalscoring touch.
As such, it might be a smart idea from Arsenal’s perspective to offload Lacazette in January. The 30-year-old’s current contract at Emirates expires at the end of the season, meaning he will be available for free, should the club fail to sanction a sale in the coming months.
Squeezing out €10 million, therefore, could be the right choice as the Gunners look to rebuild their offensive unit and start the new era under the leadership of Mikel Arteta.
