Arsenal: If I was Alexandre Lacazette…

Alexandre Lacazette is the subject of interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich. If I was the Arsenal striker, I would be wanting to leave.

The Europa League final was distressing for a number of reasons. The second-half collapse. The failure to win a trophy. The stark contrast in professionalism, desire and quality between the two squads. But more than anything, Arsenal’s defeat to London rivals Chelsea on Wednesday night was most concerning for one reason: they have to play in the beleaguered Europa League again.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Death, Decay, Despair

The Europa League might be the worst competition in football. No one really wants to be in it, the travel is exhausting, and it completely disrupts the whole rhythm and routine of a regular season, the Thursday-Sunday schedule shaking everything out of sync. It is also not the Champions League, and for the best players in the world, they want to be playing in the Champions League, not its little sister.

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Cruelly, Arsenal do not really have that many players that will be linked with moves to Champions League clubs this summer. That is because they do not have many players that are good enough to be linked with moves to Champions League clubs, which is a stark and sobering reminder of just how lacking this squad currently is.

But if there is one player who could be lured away from the club with the prospect of Champions League football, and who deserves to be after an excellent season leading the Gunners line, it is Player of the Season, Alexandre Lacazette.

Lacazette has been linked with a potential move away. Recent reports claim that Barcelona are interested in his services, the Catalan club looking for a new number nine to succeed the deceptively old Luis Suarez. Before the Europa League final, Lacazette was asked about his future. This is what he had to say:

"“For me, I just think about the final, then after we will see with the club. If the club is really happy with me and I’m happy, I will stay. In France, they say 27, 28 is one of the best ages in your career. I wish it is not the last [good season] at Arsenal and I hope I will be better and better in the next years.”"

It seems to me, then, that is yet to make up his mind. He obviously likes the club and would be happy to stay, but I do not believe for a second that if Barcelona come calling, he would not at the very least answer their call and hear what they have to say. And if I was in Lacazette’s shoes, there is only one thing that I would want: to leave.

At 28, Lacazette has the chance for one massive move in the prime of his career. He is coming off his best ever season and could waste yet another year out of the Champions League at a team that has no shot of winning a league title. He is of the calibre that should be challenging for the best trophies in the world, and he will not be doing that at Arsenal.

For the club’s sake, I hope he does not leave. He is the best player in the team, integral to Unai Emery’s plans. But if I was him, I would be trying to force a move. From his perspective, his career takes him beyond Arsenal, which is very troubling indeed.