Arsenal Can’t Hesitate on Alexandre Lacazette Interest Despite Form

Arsenal must not dawdle on Atletico Madrid interest in Alexandre Lacazette.

Alexandre Lacazette wouldn’t even be at Arsenal were it not for Atletico Madrid losing an appeal against their transfer ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

On the brink of signing the Frenchman from Lyon in the summer of 2017, it was Arsenal who pounced to secure his signature for a then club-record fee of £46.5m. The turnover took place in a matter of days and Atletico’s loss was Arsenal’s gain.

Ever since he put pen to paper at the age of 26, speculation surrounding a potential transfer to La Liga has remained present. Diego Simeone missed out on a target he was enamoured with, and his adoration has still not waned.

It was suggested that last summer Arsenal turned down a £30m bid from Roma for the 29-year-old, a fee that in hindsight appears foolish. Unless, of course, there was no time to secure a replacement, it still felt like an opportunity missed with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moving centrally and two academy strikers waiting in the wings.

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As per AS, Lacazette remains firmly on the club’s radar, even adding that the forward and Mikel Arteta have a somewhat fractured relationship. The latter part can be discounted as speculative.

What it means is that interest is still there for Lacazette, who has won over fans of late with a significant upturn in form. Nine goals in 21 outings this season, including four in his last four Premier League matches, has been pivotal to Arsenal’s recent unbeaten run.

His all-round displays are improved and the addition of Emile Smith Rowe providing midfield support tends to his own skill set. This is one of a variety of factors behind his good form, displays that while beneficial to Arsenal in the short-term, have to viewed as such in the long-term as well.

In the last 18 months of his deal at the club, if Mesut Ozil is anything to go by, then Arsenal can’t afford to be handing out new long-term contracts to players pushing the 30-mark. Of course, Aubameyang is a recent example, but as the captain and talisman who will be back among the goals once the right personnel come in, his case was an exception.

If Lacazette’s form continues for the rest of the season – even if it doesn’t – bids upwards of £20m mustn’t be dallied on. Receive offers of that ballpark and accept. No ifs, buts or maybes.

Odsonne Edouard to Replace Alexandre Lacazette

In terms of replacements available across Europe, who won’t break the bank, who are at the right age and profile, Odsonne Edouard would be ideal.

Atletico brought in Moussa Dembele this January on a six-month loan deal, and should he fail to excite and Lacazette becomes heads the wishlist once more, then the summer is an opportunity for Arsenal to spend whatever they accrue from his sale on the Celtic frontman.

Raved about plenty in the past, Edouard is one of the most complete centre-forwards in Europe; one who will only improve once he makes the step up in division. 52 goals in his first two seasons in Glasgow have been followed by less impressive numbers this term, although how he has managed to net 11 times in 23 outings is actually impressive considering the dire form Celtic have shown this campaign.

Off-field turmoil, wretched performances on it and managerial uncertainty have seen them fall well off the pace in the title race – it’s already over – yet Edouard has still found the back of the net seven times in 15 league appearances.

Superb with both feet, strong in the air, technically assured and intelligent with his movement, it’s no wonder he features on numerous wanted lists across the country.

It’s been rumoured that the Hoops have slashed their £40m asking price down to a lowly £25m, a figure that is more than manageable for Arsenal with Lacazette’s potential sale. Edouard also has 18 months left to run on his deal and Celtic would rather accrue the most they can to avoid him leaving for cut-price fee, or worse, nothing at all.

Despite Lacazette rediscovering his scoring touch, Arsenal mustn’t be lured into a false sense of security with the striker. Better than he’s given credit for, the dry patches in front of goal will return if he’s tied down for a few more seasons. When they happen, the club will be left to rue their foolishness once more.

If the resulting recruitment is right, sales such as these are imperative to reshaping the outlook of this squad. Even if Lacazette has the best six months of his Arsenal career before the end of the season, the club can’t lose sight of the bigger picture.