Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette deal means nothing to Alexis Sanchez

Arsenal have been doting over Alexandre Lacazette for some time and some see it as the kiss of death for Alexis Sanchez. That isn’t correct.

It’s getting real. Sky Sports is now reporting that Arsenal are closing in on a record-breaking deal for Alexandre Lacazette worth over £50m including add-ons. This deal has been three years in the making and should it happen, you won’t find many naysayers around the Goonersphere.

However, some are worried. There is a school of thought out there that landing Lacazette means the end of Alexis Sanchez. Some say that the only reason it is taking so long to land Lacazette is because Arsene Wenger wants to see if he can lock down Alexis first.

This simply is not the case. Lacazette is a compliment to Alexis, not a replacement. I wouldn’t call Lacazette a replacement of anyone, not Olivier Giroud, not Danny Welbeck. Maybe Lucas Perez, but that’s it. And he’s leaving.

Arsenal has needed that proven first-team striker for years now. They’ve given the role to various people, but no great success has come of it. Lacazette is simply stepping into that role. It is a role where he will be backed up by his international team mate Giroud, as well as the enigmatic Welbeck.

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Alexis doesn’t even factor into the equation. He stopped being a striker when Wenger decided it was time to utilize him elsewhere. The shared attacking midfield role that the Chilean mans allows him to have a greater influence on the game rather than just focusing on attacking. If anything, it is the potential acquisition of Thomas Lemar that should be put to question regarding Alexis’s future.

Lacazette, if anything, will help convince the Chilean to stay. And we all know he could use a bit of convincing. Having a stalwart scorer playing in between he and Mesut Ozil is a tantalizing situation for anyone to play in and even Alexis will have to admit that it is one hell of a show of ambition.

This deal still has a ways to go. Namely we have to actually get it done. But with the transfer window now officially open, the clock is ticking down towards September. It feels like there is no way this deal could derail, barring something extraordinary, but you never want to bet on a prospective transfer.

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Regardless, at least it will give us something to talk about and, ideally, celebrate in the end.

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