Arsenal: Maybe it’s Alexandre Lacazette we don’t need

Arsenal are probably weighing up their options in terms of who they can sell off this summer, and while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang makes sense, so does Alexandre Lacazette.

I don’t think I’ve ever advocated for the sale of Alexandre Lacazette. Except perhaps to say that no one was unsellable. But nowadays, after seeing what Arsenal have been up to lately, I’m beginning to change my tune a bit. Actually, it was just this morning that it dawned on me.

I’ve spent a lot of time preaching that Aubameyang should be sold first. He can fetch so much more money and his usage is very limited. Lacazette, meanwhile, contributes so much more outside of scoring goals.

But the thing is, Arsenal are getting so much more attacking push outside of the striker position that all they really need their striker for these days is scoring goals. Perhaps making some runs over the top.

Eddie Nketiah does that. Gabriel Martinelli does that. Aubameyang does that. Lacazette doesn’t. Lacazette is a piece of the machine, not the tip of the spear. A different striker for a different set-up.

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With Bukao Saka and Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe starting to find serious joy on the wings, the striker is only being asked to score goals, and that has never been Lacazette’s thing, as counterintuitive as that sounds.

This year, Lacazette is way down the goal contribution charts at the club. And sure, he wasn’t helped by his injury, but we haven’t seen him score a goal since December 12th—he was healthy throughout that period. Just hasn’t scored. In that same time period, he has only contributed to one goal.

Meanwhile, Eddie Nketiah has been back for 116 minutes and already scored a goal. Martinelli continues to plunk them in and Saka is getting back to his best. Pepe is on the rise and this attack is starting to find its legs.

Lacazette still isn’t. Lacazette is having immense trouble keeping up with the changing times under Mikel Arteta. He doesn’t provide the speed that this attack thrives on and while his hold-up play is nothing short of delectable, it hasn’t been utilized effectively in the past couple of months.

He isn’t jiving. And literally everyone else is. That’s not a good sign, but it must be heeded.

The season still has a ways to go, but Lacazette’s role in this attack needs to be sorted out before the start of next year.