Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette spells the end of the ‘same-old’

Arsenal are close to signing Alexandre Lacazette per recent reports. His impending addition spells an end of the ‘same-old’, for Arsene Wenger, Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez.

Arsenal’s fans have been asking for a big-name signing all summer. After a disappointing end to the season, in which the shortcomings of their squad were exposed, their lack of top tier quality was painfully evident and the issues in consistently performing, even against the lesser sides in the league shackled their success, there are few who did not accept that significant investment is required.

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Thankfully, Arsene Wenger and the board are seemingly waking up to that fact are beginning to act upon it. The signing of Sead Kolasinac on a free transfer to open the window was an astute one. He was cheap, he is a very good player who will bolster a key weakness of the squad. However, he is the high-profile star that is wanted.

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Fans have waited patiently for Wenger to secure that significant signing, and per recent reports, it is seemingly very close. From the BBC to Sky Sports to The Guardian, all are stating that Arsenal are on the verge of signing Alexandre Lacazette for a club-record transfer fee, in the region of £50-60 million depending on which report you read.

The Lyon striker is certainly an exciting addition. He has proven himself extensively in the French league, scoring consistently for several seasons, and has attracted interest from across Europe, especially from Atletico Madrid, who have taken a back seat in the race to sign the Frenchman as a result of a transfer embargo. But he also confirms that Wenger is continuing to evolve in the transfer market and that the squad is changing too.

The impending addition portrays a Wenger who is more willing to invest in the more substantial names, even if that means paying a higher price. That is not a man that we were accustomed to for much of his tenure in North London.

As a result of his changing attitude, there is a spelling of the end for many of the players who have been central to Arsenal’s squad in recent years. Olivier Giroud will likely want to leave after seeing him directly replaced, Alexis Sanchez most probably already wants to leave and Lacazette is a way to try and replicate his goals, and it puts players like Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck on a high-alert, with Wenger showing that he is willing to find alternatives if they do not perform.

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Lacazette is not a wholly revolutionary signing. However, he does perhaps indicate a changing of the times, an end of the ‘same-old’, and that is undoubtedly exciting.