Arsenal: You can hardly blame Alexandre Lacazette

According to reports in France, Alexandre Lacazette is considering pushing for an Arsenal exit in the coming days. If true, you can hardly blame him.

Even though the English transfer window shut almost three weeks ago, — it will be three weeks ago on Thursday –that does not mean that there cannot be more departures this summer. The European window is open until the end of August and Arsenal could sell players abroad if they so choose.

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The problem in selling now is that they would not be able to replace them other than by graduating younger, depth players into more senior, responsible roles. Given the somewhat limited depth of the squad already, that would be risky.

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Nevertheless, that does not stop players that exploiting and potentially seizing an opportunity to move to another club even after the domestic window has shut. And, according to reports in France, that is precisely what Alexandre Lacazette may do. Reportedly, the Frenchman is considering his options and could look to push for a departure before Friday’s deadline. You can hardly blame him.

Lacazette is used to being a starting centre-forward. He has been ever since he broke into the Lyon first team, playing 15 or more league games ever since the 2011/12 season. And when he was signed by Arsenal a year ago for a club-record £47 million, there was little doubt that he would continue to be the starting striker, only this time for a club in the Premier League competing at a higher level than Lyon. Within six months, however, not only was his transfer record broken, but it was for a player who plays precisely the same position as him.

And now, with the next season three games into its beginnings, Lacazette has been resigned to a substitute role, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starting in each of the three matches — he has not scored yet this season and has been largely isolated, spending much of his time plying a lonely trade.

Lacazette has had to play second fiddle. In my opinion, he has had to play it wrongly. But ultimately, my opinion doesn’t matter. Unai Emery’s opinion does. And Emery has stated that he will only play with one striker, for the time being, prioritising possession and control in the midfield by starting with a third central midfielder.

Whether Lacazette and Aubameyang can play together in a one-striker system is something that I would challenge Emery on, but, again, for the sake of Lacazette’s playing time, the only man whose thoughts matter is Emery, and that does not bode well for Arsenal’s top goalscorer last season.

So if Lacazette is pushing for an exit this week, I can hardly criticise him. Quite frankly, his pedigree and his performance deserve better. If he has to go elsewhere to find that, who can blame him?