Arsenal Must Satisfy Wantaway Alexandre Lacazette’s Plea

Alexandre Lacazette has stated that the time is right for him to leave Lyon this summer. Arsenal must satisfy the wantaway star’s come-get-me plea.

The search for a striker continues. Ever since the departure of Thierry Henry, Arsenal have only enjoyed short periods with a top quality centre-forward leading their line. Emmanuel Adebayor was a nightmare to defend against… for six months, Robin van Persie was lethal… when has was fit, and the less said about the Marouane Chamakh experiment the better.

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When Van Persie departed in controversial fashion in the summer of 2012, Arsene Wenger turned to Olivier Giroud, a towering Frenchman who, just the previous season, had fired Montpellier to a surprising Ligue 1 title.

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Since then, Giroud has split opinion; some seeing him as the rightful starter capable of leading a league-winning strikeforce; others seeing him as an inconsistent bumbling big-man who offers little more than silky smooth first touch and the odd spectacular back-heeled flick goal. The truth lies somewhere in between but, now in his fifth season in North London, Giroud is yet to break the 20 league goal barrier and has not proven that he is capable of consistently scoring enough goals for Arsenal to ever lift the trophy come May.

As such, the search continues. One of the many names to have been linked with a move to the Emirates – Arsenal had a £29 million bid rejected in the summer – is Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette. Well, after years of speculation, Lacazette has had his say on if and when he should leave his boyhood club. Speaking with Canal+, Lacazette stated:

"“I think that the right moment has arrived to leave. I think that this summer I will need a change of scenery and discover something else, still with the idea of advancing and progressing in terms of football and as a person. I will continue to work, in the hope that good opportunities will come this summer.”"

The come-get-me plea of Lacazette is one that Arsenal should be quick to answer. It should be pointed that the Frenchman references Barcelona in the same interview as a dream destination, but there has been interest from the Gunners in the past, and with Wenger being such respected and revered figure in French football, it would be difficult for Lacazette to turn down a move to North London.

Signing him, while expensive, would not just be a case of acquiring another talented and yet flawed striker. In his last four seasons with the French clubs, Lacazette has scored 15 league goals in 35 starts, 27 goals in 33 starts, 21 goals in 34 starts and is currently boasting a goalscoring rate of 18 goals in 17 League 1 starts.

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Such remarkably consistent excellence is proof of proficiency. Lacazette is an excellent player, a true goalscorer and turns 26 in May. With his prime in front of him and an impressive past behind him, Arsenal must satisfy his wantaway desires.