Martin Keown is making a case for Alexandre Lacazette to remain at Arsenal as the Frenchman approaches the end of his time at the Emirates.
Lacazette will be out of a contract at the end of this season and he is unlikely to be given a new deal.
However, Keown believes he has the experience and presence that Arsenal’s dressing room needs.
He said on BT Sport as quoted by Mirror Football: “That know-how and maturity [he brings to Arsenal] in a player with proven quality in a team that is full of developing players. You talk about role models, it is very important that he is there.
“Aubameyang, at the top of the team as well, seems to enjoy having him around and relishing him there.
“He come on against Palace in game where Arsenal were a bit flat – second best really – and he raised the tempo with his build up play, his opportunism from distance. He’s got everything in his game and I’ve heard that the youngsters love having him around.
“He lifted the crowd. Right place at the right time, look what it means to him. I just feel like you need to that drive and maturity in the team.”
Keown has a point in terms of experience and the striker being an important part of Arsenal’s development.
However, we cannot afford to keep a player just because of that, he is a striker and has to score goals.
Lacazette will not agree to remain at Arsenal when he knows he wouldn’t get game time unless he just wants the money.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also very experienced and he alone can help to groom our young attackers, including a replacement for Lacazette.
As we rebuild this team, one wrong step we could take would be keeping older players for experience’s sake. Remember how it backfired with Willian and Mesut Ozil?
I dont think Lacca thinks he has the faith of the manager in him, that is why he will be off. I maybe 100% wrong but he shouldn’t have been subbed for Odergaard today but he was the first subbed again. He like a few others is treated differently as far as his place in the team. HE KNOWS THAT. Plus he can get a big payday elsewhere.
I agree Reggie, and he adds to the collective team performance a vital addition. He is almost Arsenal real play maker.
Last year he was our best goal scorer though again he was on and off.
This year, the minutes he got are very little, Yes, he is not a goal machine, but they are making him like he rarely scores, but how can people expect him to score out of the field or in few minutes here and there.
He played 198 minutes in 10 games in PL, that less than 2.5. (scored 1).
In 8 parts of games in all competitions, he scored 3 and assisted 1.
He deserves better.
In the otherhand, I do not think that not many clubs will be willing to pay him what ge fets from Arsenal (may be not even Arsenal), reprtedly almost 200k a week.
Unless, he is willing to take a pay cut, he will stay in Jan. and mist likely will leave by the end of the season.
The team is infinitely better when Lacazette plays. The team looked sloppy and limp when Odegaard came on for him against Leicester.
People talk about his experience and his maturity, but it is what he does on the pitch that makes him special. He scores. He is one of the most efficient scorers in the premier league. He has three goals and an assist in 271 minutes. That’s a goal a game.
It is Arteta’s fault that Lacazette only played 271 minutes. If he’d played more in the first few games, perhaps Arsenal would have won against palace and Brighton.
Lacazette also does two things no other forward in the team can do; hold up the ball and play with his back to goal. How many times has he received the ball facing his own goal, swiveled, and scored? Auba, for all his quality cannot play that way; neither can Nketiah or Balogun.
Right now, Arsenal are on a good run of form and Arteta has bought himself until at least Christmas. It may be that the team is playing well in spite of Arteta, rather than because of him. A few wins in a row and Arsenal fans are ‘we’re making the top four!’
Right now the club is in 6th and will fall to seventh if Everton win. Man United are playing terrible football, and they are still above the Gunners. Four teams below Arsenal are within one game of overtaking them.
A more likely scenario is Arsenal finishing in the 5th through 7th places, with the top four consisting of Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, and Man United. West Ham will likely fade in the second half due to a lack of depth. The Hammers are one Mikael Antonio ankle sprain from oblivion. Brighton don’t lose a lot but they don’t win a lot either. Spurs look good one moment and awful the next, but have too many good players to fall very far, and Leicester are learning just how hard it is to stay in the Champions League hunt, even if they have invested wisely.