Atletico Madrid are reportedly plotting a free transfer for Alexandre Lacazette, with Arsenal forward in communication with the Spanish giants over a move.
According to French outlet Le 10 Sport report, Atletico Madrid will seek to take advantage of the contact standstill between Alexandre Lacazette and Arsenal by signing the Frenchman on a Bosman transfer next summer.
Lacazette’s five-year contract at Emirates is expiring at the end of June 2022, and he can leave North London for free if he chooses to do so. The 30-year-old Frenchman will be able to negotiate terms with other clubs starting from January, ahead of a potential move next summer, and Atletico Madrid are one of the parties keeping an eye on the former Lyon frontman as Diego Simeone tries to boost his attacking options.
Lacazette joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 outfit, Lyon, back in the summer of 2017 for a then club-record fee of £46 million. The Frenchman has always been a decent supplier of goals for the Gunners, but he has also suffered from barren runs in front of goal.
The 30-year-old has made 173 appearances for the club, scoring 67 goals while assisting on further 29 occasions in the process. He was Arsenal’s leading scorer last season and is still the club’s second top-scorer in all competitions with two goals so far this campaign.
However, his opportunities have reduced sporadically and he is yet to start a game in the Premier League this term. The French international missed the first two league matches of the campaign after catching COVID-19 last month and has only featured for 31 minutes in the competition so far. He has been an unused substitute in the last two league games.
His future with Arsenal has been up in the air since the summer when he entered the final year of his contract at Emirates. The Gunners are conducting a massive overhaul by changing their recruitment policy. They are revamping their side by acquiring highly-rated young talents to bring down the squad’s average age while steadily moving on the old heads.
Lacazzete, 30, comes on the wrong side of the age bracket; hence the Arsenal board is hesitant to renew his deal and are willing to cash him on in January. Diego Simeone is a long-time admirer of Lacazette’s talents, and the Colchoneros did come very close to signing the Frenchman from Lyon before his move to North London. They have reinforced their attacking options by bringing Antoine Griezmann back from Barcelona.
But with Luis Suarez entering the twilight years of his career and given his recent injury troubles, it would be a sensible move from the La Liga Champions to bring in a proven striker of Lacazzete’s pedigree, especially if available on a free. Apart from Atleti, other European clubs such as Juventus, Sevilla have also registered their interests, but Los Rojiblancos seem to be the frontrunners to secure the player’s signature.
