Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette, who is in the final year of his contract, has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Sevilla and Atletico Madrid.
According to a report from Spanish publication Fichajes, Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has popped up on the radars of La Liga giants Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, with his contract at the Emirates winding down.
Lacazette signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2017 from Olympique Lyon. The Frenchman has been a fairly regular source of goals for the Gunners, although he has been no stranger to dry spells in front of goal. To date, the 30-year-old has featured 172 for the club, bagging a total of 66 goals and 28 assists.
Lacazette finished the last season as the top scorer for Arsenal while he has netted the north London outfit’s only Premier League goal of the new campaign so far. However, his future at the Emirates has been uncertain since the summer as he entered the final year of his contract with Arsenal.
Indeed, Lacazette’s current deal with north London outfit runs out at the end of the season. And, it has now emerged that he has several admirers lining up to sign him when his contract expires in 2022, with two of those clubs being from Spain, in the form of Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
Atletico Madrid are long-term admirers of Lacazette and the Frenchman had come close to signing for the La Liga champions prior to his switch to the Emirates Stadium. And while they have strengthened their attack this summer with the Arsenal star’s compatriot, Antoine Griezmann, Los Rojiblancos will need another striker next summer as Luis Suarez enters the final phase of his career.
The Uruguayan has had some injury troubles this term and with his contract also running out at the end of the season, it only makes sense for Atletico to look for a proper replacement for him. And Lacazette, who would be available on a free transfer and is a proven goalscorer, would be just that.
Apart from Atletico, their fellow La Liga club Sevilla are also keen on the Arsenal striker. Julen Lopetegui’s men are bracing for the prospect of losing star striker Youssef En-Nesyri next summer, with the Moroccan interestingly linked with a move to Arsenal as a long-term replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
And they are hoping to bring in an experienced forward like Lacazette to fill in the potential vacancy that would be left by the departure of En-Nesyri. There are other clubs that are keeping tabs on the Arsenal forward, which is only natural given his proven pedigree and the fact that he will be a free agent next summer.
What now remains to be seen is if Lacazette ends up renewing his contract with Arsenal or decides to move on on a Bosman transfer.
