Arsenal: 5 forwards in line for summer departures

3. Alexandre Lacazette

Every week between now and the official date of his contract expiry there will be a conversation about whether or not Alexandre Lacazette should be handed a new deal.

Not just that, there will be rumours, too.

The likelihood is that to account for the fact Arsenal will need to sign two centre-forwards – if everyone leaves – they may offer the stand-in captain a short-term deal on reduced terms. For a player into his 30’s and eyeing some longer term stability elsewhere, how likely he is to accept that is another matter.

A romantic return to Lyon has been mooted, somewhere that could offer him a contract more in line with what he’s after.

If he were to be willing to lower his salary and stay for a year then it isn’t the worst idea in the world given the amount of work that will need doing in the summer, but it is otherwise time to move on from the Frenchman. We love him, he loves us, but the front line needs freshening up.

It will be sad to see him go, even if it should have happened a while ago.

Estimated outcome: Leave for free when deal runs out.

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