Alexandre Lacazette is playing a key role for Arsenal so far this season, but I expect this season to be his last with us.
The striker shared his role with youngster Eddie Nketiah following his impressive spell earlier in 2020, but has started the new season well.
Youngster Nketiah however has this week broken the record of being England Under-21s all-time leading goalscorer, and will be looking to take that accolade into the senior game.
Gabriel Martinelli is also a great prospect, although he is out of action until 2021, and he will likely use the remainder of the season to convince the manager that he is deserving of plenty of minutes.
It is young Eddie however who is showing that he is the one who will be ready to take on the central role in the long-term, and Lacazette is likely already of the understanding that his place is under threat.
The Frenchman has been allowed to enter into the final two years of his current playing deal, with no talks yet to have taken place over an extension, which further adds to my belief that he will be moved on in the near future.
With both Nketiah and Martinelli in the squad, as well as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe, who could both play centrally if given a chance, I’m more than confident that Laca’s departure wouldn’t need replacing with a proven star. This would free up money to be spent on bringing in another central midfielder, possibly Houssem Aouar or Dani Ceballos whilst having change left over.
Is Lacazette a key player at Arsenal? Does he do much that Nketiah doesn’t? Has Martinelli shown enough to be considered as our back-up striker already?
Patrick
Lacazette is far better than nketiah.. With nketiah we are top 10 at best… Laca may be dry on goals, but his hold up play is good….. Nketiah is championship level…. Above all we deserve better than the two
Tbh i would be happy with out frontline being martinelli and Nketiah next year. I expect the plan will involve them both being mentored by aubameyang. Over remaider of hs contract with view of them both becoming solid frontline options by time he retires
Lacs is another average player we overpaid. We paid Lyon 52m and his wages is 150k a week.
Too much at his level
Lacca needs to be sold
Laca may not contribute as much in goals but he also goes deep to do the dirty work, which you never see frm the likes of Eddie. He is way better than them young ones. Under 21 is not premier league, why cant they replicate their under 21 escapades in the league. They are simply not at the level.
Hands off Laca please!
Well said 👍
Well said
Gil, totally agree that a lot of the work Lacazette does, in dropping deep to receive the ball goes unnoticed by some fans.
The arrival of Thomas Partey to reinforce the midfield, provide the link between the defence, picking up the ball and driving forward to play the forwards into the game, will allow Lacazette to play as a true centre forward. It will also allow Ceballos to play further forward to provide another passing option.
Laca out, always one step behind Goal………often not in position … we’d end 10th with Laca as our CF
I would love to see Arsenal do something outrageous and come end of season offer Dortmund Laca and 50 million for Haaland.
I think we need to make a real statement signing and add a top striker to the squad. Our young guys are great talents but they aren’t near his level yet and he and Szoboska I if we could bring him in in January would be the polish on this squad. Sure it sounds like wishful thinking but I think adding two players to our squad of this talent and promise will only ensure future success for the club when the likes of Auba and Willian move on.
You must be high if you really think Dortmund would consider £50M for Haaland in these inflated market. You ll need like £150M to even be considered!
Håland has a £63m release clause.. So that’s all that needs to buy him.
I would prefer to see Auba in their position and Martinelli or Willian on the left side.
I think Nketiah has a better potential but they are both not a regular finishers as we need. Although Nketiah didn’t have enough time as much as Laca
I have rates Laca since he moved to Arsenal and still claim that he is more naturally talented player than Auba.
The problem is that his has failed to improve himself. He is supposed to be a dangerous scoring striker but I don’t know what has happened to him. We bought him to share the goal scoring burden with Auba but he seems to have failed.
May be this season will be different. I don’t know.
It was Laca, before Auba
Lacazette is having to drop deep to receive the ball, then take it forward, rather than having midfielders pass the ball forward to his feet facing goal. Aubameyang also needs the ball played forward into space for him to run on to.
I think this season could turnout differently for Lacazette if he continues in his current prolific goals scoring form this season for Arsenal. Which has seen him scored in all the PL games that he has played for the club. But wait a minute, did he score in our home PL match against Sheff Utd? I can’t remember now but I’ll check.
But notwithstanding, I can remember he scored in the PL for us away to Fulham (won) and Liverpool (lost). And at home against West Ham (won). And even has scored a pen shoot out goal away to Liverpool in the Carabao which us won.
I think while the going in good for Laca this season, us Gooners should be prasing him instead of to be castigating him. Which if not stopped could have him get discouraged as us are not appreciating the good thing he’s doing for Arsenal on the field of play competitively so far this season.
And if peradventure he has a dip in form for Arsenal during the campaign, us Gooners should not start to be slating him but keep encouraging him so that he’ll recover his lost form to restart scoring for Arsenal as the campaign pans on.
Lacazette who is performing very well for Arsenal this season in terms of regularly scoring goals in games for the club should not be talked of him leaving the club on sale. But when should he leaves the club on sale? Next January window? But why? What of if he scores 18 – 20 PL goals and provided 12 – 15 assists for Arsenal at the end of this season. Would us Gooners still be saying Arsenal should sell him next summer window or keep him to extend his contract when he’ll be 30 years old by then?
He wasn’t played
He even has more goals than Auba this season after playing less games but people want to see him gone. You wonder why? We should aim to spur him on, & not wishing him to fail so he can be sold. Aaarg Gooners
Fans want to see Laca out just to be able to buy another good player like Partey. Want to feel again the high adrenaline surrounding Partey’s hiring.
Lets wait how the inclusion of Partey plays for the team. And let Arteta see what is needed after this season, and if it is worth selling Laca for that.
Partey will help Lacazette and Aubameyang be more productive.
Nketiah is a lazy boy and he gets tired faster,but arteta will continuously fields him coz his so stubborn,if u want to win matches just field Laca,we all know how good is he when it comes to shield a ball of which young man nketiah can’t even do,
I said it right at the beginning just after we sign Willian, that we had enough wingers now in Pepe, Sake, Willian and Nelson. Auba can play centre, backup by Martinelli, for now Eddie can do. So we can sell Laca and buy an attacking midfielder. I suggested Jack Grealish, but Houssem Aouar will also do. I still think with Jack at 10, that we will be a league winning and Championship league attack. Just look at our last game when Arteta made his first game changing sub, subbing Eddie with Pepe, and we had Auba in the middle, Sake and Pepe on the wingers, Willian and Dani in the middle and we played beautiful soccer. Our ball possession, creativity, and goal scoring rapidly increase. It was our best front 3 performance, since our last one in December, when Lyungberg play Auba in the middle, Pepe on the right and Martinelli on the left. I don’t except the majority to agree with me just the elite. The majority will be happy the average players that make as an average team.
I still don’t get that rationale behind Willian move. He offers nothing different at that wage.
I partly agree, but he was free and we don’t have enough quality player, so I understand. What bother me is the fact that he just walk past Pepe, very strange player management about Arteta.
Wait, y’all rate Nkeitia? Woooow, we will remain top ten at best with these mentalkty of been emotional at every turn. Kola, Nkeitia, Reid, Willock should all be sold as they don’t have enough talent to be at Arsenal. Talking about Nkeitia replacing Laca lol. Smh
I don’t know why some fans want Laca out? The guys is a workaholic, none of Strikers can do the hold on play. Imagine some want Nketiah to replace him. Lacazette will perform better with the inclusion of Partey.
*None of our strikers can do the hold on play*
Hi MK
You can real see well, just wonder what does all the others see, and to add the modern game is all about ball possession and playing from the back, which modern team needs a ball up-holder, just look at teams City, Barcelona, Liverpool and etc.
Yes please!