Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette will come alive with Nabil Fekir revolution

Arsenal are considering the possibility of replacing Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil with Nabil Fekir. The attacking revolution would see Alexandre Lacazette come alive.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are nearing an Arsenal exit. The duo have a little over six months remaining on their current contracts, have shown little desire to enter into extension talks, and can begin pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs from January 1st, which is now less than two months away. Their departures seem inevitable.

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As a result, the search for a replacement, or replacements, has begun. Such is the quality and influence of the pair that, if Arsene Wenger is to preserve the attacking potency of his side, then it is vital that he identifies the right targets. Good will not cut it. Great is required.

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One of the names that has surfaced prominently in recent days is Lyon attacker Nabil Fekir. The direct and pacy midfielder has been in terrific form this season, scoring 11 goals and assisting four in just 11 Ligue 1 games. Such proven production has clearly attracted many suitors from throughout Europe, including the Gunners. But there is one factor that they have over every potential buyer: Alexandre Lacazette.

When Lacazette was sold by Lyon in the summer, Fekir stated that he and his teammates will miss him. He bracketed such comments by insisting that the Lyon team can adapt to his absence, asserting that they can still have success without their lethal, prolific centre-forward. But the initial sentiment still rang true: Fekir wanted, and likely still wants, to play with Lacazette. That is a relationship that Wenger would be wise to tap into.

In the 2014/15 season, Fekir assisted Lacazette for three goals. Fekir then missed the majority of the 2015/16 season to injury, but the next year, Lacazette then assisted Fekir for three goals. The highest assist-to-goalscorer total, that year, was four goals.

Additionally, Lyon scored 77 team goals that year. Lacazette and Fekir had a direct involvement (goal or assist) in 44 goals. That is 57.1% of the goals that Lyon scored. And in the 2014/15 season, Lyon scored 72 goals. Lacazette and Fekir had a direct involvement in 55 goals, a percentage of 76.4%. That is a remarkably high proportion.

Moreover, in 2015/16, the season that Fekir suffered a cruciate ligament injury and played just 464 minutes of Ligue 1 football, Lacazette’s goal output dropped significantly. In the two seasons either side, Lacazette scored 27 and 28 goals respectively. In 2015/16, that number fell to 21. Furthermore, in 2014/15, his minutes per goal ratio was 105.5 minutes. In 2016/17, his minutes per goal ratio was 86.0 minutes. And in 2015/16, the year with Fekir missing, it was 141.1 minutes.

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The stats prove that Fekir has been instrumental to Lacazette’s success while at Lyon. Insert him into an already creative Arsenal team, and Lacazette would come to life. That does not mean that Fekir is sufficient to replace both Ozil and Sanchez. More is still needed. But he would undoubtedly have an extremely positive effect on those already at the club, namely, Alexandre Lacazette.