The reported Arsenal target Alexandre Lacazette has opened the door towards a potential move to the Emirates after claiming that a switch to the Premier League would be ‘interesting’ and that a lack of Champions League football would not be a dealbreaker in making the decision, insisting that the biggest factor would regular first-team football and the opportunity of being the main striker at his new club.
On a Facebook live chat with EuroSport, the Frenchman said: “Is the Champions League a deal-breaker for my choice? No, but it is important. In making my choice, I will look at my position [in my next club], if there are not too many players, so I won’t be benched and I will be able to play. The Premier League is interesting. That does not mean I will go, and that does not mean I will refuse to go.”
These comments from Lacazette comes on the heels of news that Arsenal are willing to launch an improved £115 million bid to secure the services of fellow Ligue 1 striker Kylian Mbappe, with the French national team coach Didier Deschamps subtely advising the teenage star to move to North London rather than Real Madrid, and renowned journalist Kike Marin claiming that Arsenal are willing to offer the Monaco hitman the role of an undisputed Number 9, something the newly-crowned European champions cannot.
But considering the Gunners’ financial constraints, perhaps a move for Lacazette looks more feasible as he should be available at around £40 million, allowing Arsenal to strengthen on other areas of the pitch as well. Besides, the Lyon striker comes with a superior goal-scoring record, with as many as 37 goals in 45 appearances this season and has proven himself as a consistent goal-scorer over the years.
While I understand that Mbappe could be the next Thierry Henry, I just think his price tag is not justified considering that he is only 18 years of age with just about a year of top-flight football under his belt. There can be no denying that Arsenal need more than just a striker this summer and with that in mind, Lacazette would be the better alternative. With BeIn Sport, who Wenger works for on a regular basis, is now reporting that Arsenal have opened talks for the Lyon hitman, let’s wait and see where this goes.
AT
Am becoming a bit more interested in the transfer window after the kolasinac’s announcement.
I think we can go all out france or all out Germany.
Renato Sanchez/gotze if he can play cm
auba/muller
or mbappe/lacacera lolx
veratti/that psg kid
Mbappe was playing very well in CL games though, and even the chances he got against Juventus showed he had a bit of star quality about him. It’s doubtful Arsenal would have to pay that money off in one season, more like three or four lump sums. So there would be money to try get others in. Now it’s up to Wenger to prove it when he said he’d spend three hundred mil if it was the right player, someone likened a great deal to Thierry but is ahead of where Thierry was at his age certainly sounds like the right player.
Get arsene off the club first.
Lacazette is not what arsenal as a player.arsenal need better players who we do the job
Out means out
Even if Arsenal gets him, there is no guarantee whether he will be a good striker in the Premier League, because he is not good in the air. But he can be good in Sanchez’s or Ozil’s positions though, because he possesses a very good technique and he is very fast.
As long as Arsenal is willing to give Mbappe, Aubameyang or Lacazette huge salary, I am sure one of them would want to join us. That was how Manchester United could get Pogba and Ibrahimovic.
If we can get either Mbappe or Lacazette, along with Jean Michael Seri, keep Ozil and Sanchez, and the addition of Kolasinac, it will be the best transfer window that I can remember under Arsene Wenger. IF, and it’s still a big “IF” that all comes-off successfully.
Sanchez – Mbappe/Lacazette – Ozil
Kolasinac – Xhaka – Seri – Bellerin/Ox
Holding – Koscielny – Mustafi
Cech
With Monreal/Chambers/Gabriel to rotate at the back, Ox/Ramsey/Elneny/Coquelin to rotate in midfield, and Giroud/Wellbeck/Walcott/Iwobi to rotate upfront, that looks like the best Arsenal team in a very long time. Certainly capable of challenging for a major trophy, if used properly.
OT: Forbes just announced their new “Worlds Most Valuable Football Clubs” list. Manchester United have regained No.1 spot (See what getting Pogba, Ibra, and Moureen does?) Barcelona now in second place, just ahead of former-leaders Real Madrid who have slipped to third place. Fourth-place is taken by Bayern Munich, and next are Manchester City, who have overtaken Arsenal to become the 5th wealthiest football club in Europe.
Arsenal now in 6th place, still very slightly ahead of Chelsea in 7th, but well ahead of Liverpool in 8th. With almost the same value as Liverpool, Juventus are ranked 9th, and completing the top-ten are our next-door-neighbours at Tottenham.
Mbappe even for his young age is already better than lacazzette, and you should also mention that while lacazzette numbers are impressive at first glance, if you delved a little deeper you’ll realized they’re inflated by lots of penalties..
The other thing is that, lacazzette has vastly more minutes on the pitch than mbappe and unlike mbappe he’s literally the sole goal outlet for Lyon while Monaco have many others beside mbappe which makes his own more impressive than lacazzette.
I said we should go all out to sign mbappe and if it doesn’t come off, then morata and not lacazzette should be our plan B.
Lacazette for 40 million? That can not be right. I think even last season Lyon asked more. Now with another 30+ goals and inflation continuing, I can not see them sell him for 40 million.
Good point… I seem to remember around 40 million not being good enough last season. Unless it was 40m Euros as opposed to £40m? I’m still sceptical that any of this will actually happen. I don’t want to hear “We tried, and nobody else was available…” when the new season kicks-off.
Even so the difference is only £6million surely they wouldn’t have held out for that? Or we could have offered it in bonuses of some sort.
Compare morata being rated at 75million Lukaku (who in my opinion will not do well at another club, you’ll see he’s bentekesque) now by numbers lacazette is the better player so we need 50+million at least to land him surely?
Lacazette has a 50 million pound release clause which was inserted into his contract last year when he signed a new contract.
Good comment. AND it is renewel time also just come off. THE worse season for years .apart from the fa cup.the whole team needs a shake up. Walnutt,debuchey,jenkinson,cambell,gibbs,kos,chambers,akpom, all dead wood now should recoup a few £ s to trim and improve squad
Let the dream and high ambition continue.. as I still suspect he might spoil it.
Didier Deschamps picks Giroud ahead of Lacazette in the pecking order so everyone who is talking about Lacazette for 50+ million should be prepared to be disappointed if he does come in and ends up on the bench, coz even under Laurent Blanc he wasnt a stater so i dont think two good managers could be wrong, I hope we dont let Giroud leave coz he could be a good option for us coming of the bench as he’s proved the season just ended, that is if we bring in a much better foward, personally i think we should go for Morata, and why are we not in for Dybala, he could sort out our Right wing problems.
good point OG as a plan B, coz putting him as the main striker like how France does, we’ve seen that movie several times and the ending has never been good..
I think France’s tactics are different form ours that’s why OG plays better there, or they have better players (of course), so Lacazette may as well be a better option for us as our fast attacking tactics suits those kinds of strikers
I for one would suggest Wenger brings a world class winger or a striker with the qualities of Aguero, Suarez, Tevez, Lewandowski, Aubemayang, Costa, Ibrahimovic etc. A winger will see Wenger completely turning to Sanchez as our main man upfront, I feel he has the qualities of a striker. Actually we all saw it in the just ended season. We also need to bring a Santi Carzola back up. I still fail to understand why Wenger didn’t bid for Wijnaldum, van Aanholt and van Dijk.
Bet if AW got Mbappe he use him as a winger..
Everyone talking about Lacazete, Dechamps knows the reasons he prefers likes of Giroud, Griezmann, Anotony Martial and may be now Mbappe to Lacazette,i don’t think Wenger Fancies Lacazette that much, i guess he would have signed him last Season, Mbappe looks better even though he’s 8 years younger than him, He can still be bent and be molded into World class. With the Recent comments of Wenger on Mbappe really shows he wants him at all cost…..i will prefer Mahrez and Mbappe, our attack would be deadly , of course with Ozil and Sanchez staying put also.
IF WENGER OR ARSENAL SPEND £100+ on Mbappe then the club has open to a chapter of New Era , New things will start coming, Players will start seeing the Club as one of best also, it can Convince so big name players that want to play in EPL to start liking Arsenal and to play also…….we will become attractive. Just imagine we win the league with the likes of Mbappe, Sanchez, Ozil, Mahrez, etc next season , we would attracts alot of Very Top players the following season