Arsenal Cannot Let Napoli Snatch Lacazette, Icardi

Napoli, flush with money from their sale of Gonzalo Higuain, are reportedly going to use the cash to buy Alexandre Lacazette. Arsenal can’t let that happen.

Paul Pogba’s bank-breaker move from Juventus to Manchester United has brought about a lot of transfer activity in the past few days. Especially activity from the selling club.

Juventus are looking to replace one star with another and are reportedly in for Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain in a whopping €90m move. Higuain has been in Turin for a medical, and even though the move is “not linked” to Paul Pogba’s sale, the finances are probably coming from the French wonderkid’s €100m+ transfer fee.

Napoli’s strike force will be decapitated by the departure of Higuain. With only Lorenzo Insigne left as a striker they will be using their new financial muscle to replace Higuain with a star player.

Two star strikers that have been linked with moves to multiple clubs around Europe are Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Inter’s Mauro Icardi.

Lacazette has been all over transfer rumor newspapers for over a month thanks to serious interest from West Ham and Arsenal. But it is Icardi who is currently the talk of the town thanks to his agent – and his wife – Wanda Nara.

Wanda has told the press that she will meet with Napoli to discuss a potential transfer for Icardi, who is valued at around €50m. Napoli intended to use striker Manolo Gabbiadini as a bargaining chip so that they did not have to pay such a high price tag for Inter’s Argentine captain, but the move was rejected, according to Football Italia.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

Football Italia have reported Napoli’s interest in Icardi (reportedly a target for Arsenal), but they have also come out with a story saying that the Partonopei have expressed their interest in Alexandre Lacazette, whose price tag is now reportedly up to €60m, due to increased interest.

A club with a big bank like Napoli right now are dangerous for any other suitors in the market for these two forwards. Especially since everyone knows exactly how much money Napoli have after this blockbuster move for their top striker.

A report from Gazzetta Dello Sport today has indicated that Napoli prefer to sell Higuain to a club abroad rather than their title rivals, but the only other known suitor is Arsenal and the Gunners surely will not pay that 90 million Euro fee (£78m).

So, hypothetically, if Higuain completes his move to Juve, Arsenal will be in real danger of losing one of their two main targets.

Alexandre Lacazette is the more prolific of the two strikers in the past two seasons, but Icardi has converted a higher percentage of his chances, 31% in 2015-16. Icardi has similar traits to Olivier Giroud, though, and he is not yet a 20-goal striker – so a big €50m tag seems like too much.

(Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) /

Alexandre Lacazette is another story. The Frenchman has clearly become a star – he virtually held Lyon up in 2016 after Nabil Fekir fell to injury, with a goal record of nearly one per game in the second half of the season.

Arsenal must act now if they want to acquire the available strikers in this window. Especially ahead of a Premier League season that will be so competitive between the top clubs. Lacazette and Icardi are the market right now, so it’s imperative that Napoli don’t act quicker and take one of the two before Arsenal even submit an offer.

As of yet, Arsenal hasn’t made public offers for either of these players. In a market like the one we are in now with such big prices for these forwards, the Gunners will have to put the money in front of Lyon and Inter and say “here’s the deal: take it or leave it.”

Next: Arsenal's Predicted FIFA 17 Player Ratings

There’s no time for £40m-plus-£1 type tricks (see Luis Suarez).

Home/Arsenal Transfer Rumours