Arsenal Must Force Borussia Dortmund Into Alexandre Lacazette Race

Borussia Dortmund will try and sign Alexandre Lacazette if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaves. Arsenal must either force them to enter the race or simply win.

Last summer, Arsene Wenger began his desperate search for a striker. The man who he was looking to replace, Olivier Giroud, has been a divisive figure among the fan base since his signing in the summer of 2012 after Robin van Persie forced through an exit to Manchester United. But Wenger had finally decided that Arsenal needed an improvement at the position and scoured far and wide to find his man.

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The endeavour started with a £20 million bid for Jamie Vardy that activated a release clause in his contract. However, amid concerns regarding style of play, Vardy rejected Wenger’s advances. That left the search for a striker very much still open. Throughout the summer, there were consistent links to the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata and Karim Benzema.

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However, Wenger was either disinterested or unable to coerce any in joining him at the Emirates, and, ultimately, settled for Lucas Perez in a £17 million deal as the transfer deadline loomed. And now, after a season of inconsistent starters as the spearhead of the side, the need for a world-class striker still persists.

As such, with the summer transfer window on the horizon, many names are being touted as possible options for Arsenal to explore. Perhaps the most prominent of these names is Alexandre Lacazette. The Lyon striker has enjoyed yet another excellent season, scoring 29 goals in all competitions, and has publicly stated that, if a club that can offer his career a step up comes in for him, he would like to leave.

However, Arsenal are just one of a great number of clubs who are potential suitors of the 25-year-old. The latest club to be linked with a possible move for Lacazette is Borussia Dortmund, with doubts growing over the future of their striking phenomenon. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has hinted that he would like to leave the German club in the summer.

If he did indeed leave, then Dortmund would need to invest in an adequate replacement. Wenger must be acutely aware of the futures of both Aubameyang and Lacazette. Both are wonderfully gifted centre-forwards and would be definitive upgrades on the current options available.

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If Dortmund do indeed enter the race to sign Lacazette, then Arsenal must be the ones to either force them into the race by signing Aubameyang in the first place or ensure that they win the race in spite of Dortmund’s presence. Either would be a major success.