Alexandre Lacazette’s future is now almost certainly away from Arsenal as he has just one more season on his current contract and there haven’t been talks of a new one.
Arsenal now prefers to cash in on him in this transfer window instead of letting him leave for free, according to Todofichajes.
The attacker has been at the Emirates since 2017 and he filled in well for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang when the Arsenal captain was absent because of several off-field problems last season.
But his performances haven’t been enough to earn him a new contract and clubs are now looking to sign him.
The first club that was linked with a summer transfer for him was Atletico Madrid, but the Spanish club has now been joined by Napoli.
The report says the Naples based club also wants to add him to their squad ahead of the new season.
Arsenal paid almost 60m euros to sign him from Lyon four years ago, but the report says the Gunners want just 17m euros for his signature now.
Considering that clubs around the world are struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic, that fee might be considered too much for a player that will be a free agent next summer.
Ot@ Dan please can you create a league for us on fpl for justarsenal fans just my opinion
Anyone interested could just be part of it from this family
Though Laca is still a more than useful player IMHO (unlike uninterested Auba), the Covid financial world has rendered players in his situation almost unsellable at any fee at all, other than on a free.
Our club, as are many across the Prem and whole world, are finding this “awful” fact out now. It was entirely predictable since last summer, when it became clear that Covid was not going to suddenly disappear in a few weeks (as loonies like Trump were predicting).
In one respect, our lack of Euro comps will prove a blessing in disguise, particularly later in the season when our lesser schedule will prove a bonus, by comparison with our main rivals.
Esp come the New Year, when clubs in Europe (other than possibly City, with their massively talented squad) will be on their knees with player fatique and injuries, meaning they drop like flies.
Imo , It may well come down to either letting players like Laca, and even total flops like Xhaka and Bellerin either hang around or leaving on a free; or on a fee so tiny as to be only peanuts!
Extreme total flops like Willian (on his ludicrous and damaging contact) are quite possibly only going if we agree do do an Ozil and pay the bulk of their wages to get them out.
Moving ahead in time, what is blindingly obvious is that long term contracts for players even in their late twenties are going to be as rare as hens teeth and that will be a painful step in the right direction.
Eventually, I believe it certain that all player wages will be massively less than now, across the football world. Football at top level has lived beyond its means for far too long and only when even big clubs are in threat of their existence will reality finally dawn.
It has always been predictable but only to those who WISH to see it.
I cannot wait, personally.
I take your point Jon and hope that the crazy wages do become a thing of the past. That’s not to say that a very comfortable living isn’t deserved but the likes of Messi have totally skewed the wage structure
When talk of Harry Kane possibly going to City for £160m and then being paid squillions you begin to realise that becomes the benchmark for those below to expect a high cut for themselves as well.
Something has to happen for the health of football
Good to see a wise and mature fan like you take my point SueP.
As JA’s most “infamous” pedant I could, were I so minded, point out the massive gulf between “a very comfortable living” and the obscenity of paying mere footballers hundreds of pounds weekly! Esp while REAL heroes in so many other walks of life , esp NHS folk, are keeping society going.
Of course this Prem wage obscenity has been a very long time bugbear with me and I will keep banging on about it to all and sundry until something is done to change it. It will EVENTUALLY happen but only when clubs very existence are threatened.
Hasten that blessed day, say I!
So, we are unwilling to offer a contract extension to Lacazette who was our top scorer last season.
Willian scored 1 goal all season by the way.
Lacazete is 30 years Old while Willian will be 33 in August.
I doubt if Arteta knows what he is doing.
If you can offer a 3 year contract to Willian (who has been poor since joining Arsenal) why can’t you offer a 2 year contract extension to Lacazette?
We should rather pay off Willian, Sell Nketiah and offer Lacazette a 2 year contract extension.
By the way, we already have the right partner for Thomas Partey in the squad. His name is Torrera.
Totally understand your point of view
I thought that Willian was worth 2 years and unless something drastic happens this season he will have been a disaster. This is a hindsight situation on my part and those that signed him
Lacazette at least has been part of the club and Arteta takes a view based on what he had seen working with him
You win some and lose some. I couldn’t fault AL’s commitment at all
Exactly @SueP.
Lacazette deserves a 2 year contract extension.
If you could give Willian 3 years contract, then why not give Lacazette a 2 year contract?
It is not rocket science that if Lacazette stays this season, he will be more useful to the team than Willian.
Yup
just like the old adage, two wrongs make a right
Skills we will all agree that giving Willian a 3 year deal was a mistake. Giving Auba his monstrous wage was a big mistake imho too so I think Mikel is fast learning from his mistakes.
Laca as good as he is will not agree to a wage cut and to me his level isnt what we need now. Selling him now might be the very best option available to the club. He was good but not what we need now. And having a bit of cash from him makes sense to me.
I am pretty sure that the head coach or Manager as he is now does not hand out the contracts. People can blame Arteta for his tactics and deciding which players he wants, but seriously do you really think how much they are paid and for how long is down to him?
Atid I do think that MA has much input on how long he wants a player to remain or be sold And , though MA will certainly have less input on wages negs, he will certainly be asked his opinion before any contract is agreed between club and player.
This is what a manager would expect and should expect! Otherise he is merely head coach but he has been raised to manager. And correctly IMO.
Selling Lacazette would turn into a colossal mistake
Two clubs so far in for Laca; this clearly confirms he is our most salable asset at this point. Perhaps 20M
asking price would be more in line with his trade value. Such a pity he wasn’t put up for sale much earlier in the transfer window. If our friends from the Lane enters the race, we should jack up the price to 25M.
Laca is good,we have gotten enough of him is an average player is not exactly what we want know.I respect is level of commitment..
I think Arsenal must give Laca a 2 year extension. He has commitment and love for the club, our top scorer last season, has hold up play and does not hide in big games like Auba. As for Willian, it was a big mistake on the part of AFC to sign him on a 3 year contract and now somehow we have to live with it, unless some club buys him up and AFC can pay part of his wages.
I concur!Laca is a different character/person to Ozil Auba Wilian….!if given a new contract I’m pretty he’d keep giving his all for the team!
Must we always have an Ozil at the club.We let him go now we have two;Auba & Willian and you want to add Laca?