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Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette not bad second prize
Arsenal are reportedly meeting with Lyon regarding a £50 million move for Alexandre Lacazette. While he is no Kylian Mbappe, he is not a bad second prize by any stretch of the imagination.
Arsenal’s need for a striker has been evident for some time now. Ever since the departure of Robin van Persie in the summer of 2012, they have not found a starring centre-forward who is able to consistently score goals at a high rate, as every Premier League winning side has.
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Olivier Giroud is a useful and unique player. But he is not the bullying, dominating striker that is required. Danny Welbeck lacks the cutting edge in front of goal while Theo Walcott has proven himself more suited to a wide role than a striker. Yaya Sanogo closer to Bambi than a footballer and Lukas Podolski and his namesake, Perez, were seemingly unwanted and unused.
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Arsene Wenger was aware of this need. Last summer he undertook a tour around Europe in a desperate search for his striker. Jamie Vardy rejected the contract on offer. Lyon rejected a bid for their star striker. Gonzalo Higuain joined Juventus while Alvaro Morata was never available. Eventually, Wenger settled for Lucas Perez, but thanks to his hesitancy to offer the Spaniard responsibility and opportunity, is now still in need for a striker.
As such, an £87 million bid was made for 18-year-old sensation Kylian Mbappe. The bid was rejected by Monaco and it is not yet known whether an improved rebuttal will be made. Amid the uncertainty and hesitant excitement, further reports have surfaced that the man who Lyon barred from leaving last season is once again on Wenger’s radar.
Recent reports suggest that Arsenal are preparing a £50 million offer for Alexandre Lacazette in the hope that he can enter the fray as the leading striker that has been so sorely missed. I believe that if you asked most fans, they would rather see Mbappe in North London than his French counterpart.
He is the greater talent and has the brighter future ahead of him, even if the price may seem a little ridiculous. However, as second prizes go, Lacazette is most certainly not a bad one. The Lyon striker scored 37 goals for the club in all competitions last season, showcasing a wonderful intelligence in his movement, great pace to exploit space and a ruthless streak within firing range.
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Lacazette would still be a very astute and exciting addition, and while he may not have the star name that Mbappe has thanks to his greater age, he would still be an excellent alternative.