https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js //tags.smilewanted.com/formats/corner-video/arsedevils_com_9edcfba
You are here
Home > Arsenal > Arsenal Keen to Sign £50million Striker on a Two Year Deal; Decision to be Made in the Summer

Arsenal Keen to Sign £50million Striker on a Two Year Deal; Decision to be Made in the Summer

Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal, Ekrem Konur, Olympique Lyon

Alexandre Lacazette has an uncertain future at Arsenal. His contract will be expiring at the end of this season. However, Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the club will decide the player’s future in the summer. Both the player and the club had previously failed to come to an agreement for an extension.

Arsenal’s priorities are signing two strikers in the summer. They want to tackle their problem of lack of strikers and are in the market looking for options. However, it could be possible that they had the answer all along but did not notice. The 30-year-old French striker has been deeply involved in the recent resurgence of Arsenal.

Lacazette was made the club captain following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese forward was sold to Barcelona after certain arguments between him and Mikel Arteta lead to him being dropped from the team.

Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal
Image Obtained via The Metro

Since then, Lacazette has picked himself up along with the team beside him. He has scored 3 goals and assisted 7 in his last 12 Premier League appearances. The Frenchman scored a goal in Arsenal’s recent 2-0 victory against Leicester City.

Reports in February suggested that the striker has initiated conversations with his former club Lyon. Meanwhile, Eddie Nketiah also has a contract expiring in June and looks unlikely to stay at Arsenal. However, Alexandre Lacazette might extend his stay if Arsenal secure a top-four spot and they are in a strong position to do so.

Earlier, the Gunners were only willing to offer the Frenchman a 12-month contract extension. Now, the latest reports indicate that they might offer him more than a one-year deal. The Spanish manager is urging the board to extend the player’s contract and expects to reach a positive outcome. Arteta said:

“I think with Alex it’s very clear what he brings to the team. He’s shown it consistently since I’ve been here, and what we have to resolve is the contractual timing, in the best possible way, and when we all align on the same page.”

How Has Alexandre Lacazette Fared At Arsenal?

Alexandre Lacazette joined Arsenal in the summer of 2017 from Olympique Lyon. Since then, he has scored 71 goals and assisted 36 times in 198 appearances for the North London side across all competitions. However, he was expected to contribute more during his time at Emirates. He was considered as one of the best strikers while at Lyon, which is why Arsenal signed him.

He has enjoyed his time with the Gunners in spells, along with Aubameyang. Moreover, he has only won two trophies with the North London club – the FA Community Shield in 2017 and 2020, and the FA Cup in 2020. He has been unlucky in that sense, given the Gunners were not at their best during that time frame.

Alexandre Lacazette stats
Image Obtained via WhoScored

This season, he has taken only 1.7 shots per game and has managed just 6 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions. These are not very good stats for a player who plays as the number 9. Nevertheless, Arsenal fans will be happy with his performances of late since he took the armband. Out of the 8 assists, he has registered this season, 7 of them came after he was made the club captain.

Mikel Arteta has said that Lacazette makes the people around him better, which was visible in Arsenal’s 3-2 victory over Watford. His second assist of the game was his 100th goal contribution for the club. It was evident how he involves other players in the game and helps them score by attracting defenders and creating spaces with his runs.

Read More:

Should The Frenchman Extend His Stay In North London?

Many would suggest for him to stay as he is doing pretty well at the moment, having started the last 12 Premier League games. However, his scoring record is not ideal for a striker. If he can improve his goal-scoring stats by the end of the season, then the Gunners can consider binding him to a new contract for a few more years. Else, they should look for better striking options in the market.

Moreover, the Frenchman is already 30-years-old and does not have many years ahead of him. Another setback could be the player losing pace in 1 or 2 years. He is in good form at the moment and if the club decide to extend his deal further, they should do that fast.

Follow AD for the Latest Transfer Updates on Arsenal.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Top