Alexandre Lacazette reportedly prefers joining Atletico Madrid instead of Barcelona when he leaves Arsenal.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Alexandre Lacazette has a clear preference for his next destination when he leaves Arsenal. The French striker favours joining Atletico Madrid instead of Barcelona, with the rest of his suitors also left with an uphill task in his pursuit.
Alexandre Lacazette joined Arsenal from Lyon in the summer of 2017 and has since proven to be a reliable customer for the club. While the 30-year-old has not been prolific season after season, he has been a dependable outlet with his hold-up play. In addition, his partnership with Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been quite solid.
To date, the Frenchman has made 168 appearances for Arsenal, amassing 68 goals and 29 assists in the process. However, the Gunners are resigned to losing Lacazette as a free agent, as he is running down his current contract, which will expire next summer. The fact that he is set to leave Arsenal on a Bosman move has alerted some of the best clubs in Europe, with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona among his suitors.
Los Rojiblancos hold a long-standing interest in Lacazette, having made previous attempts to secure his services. They now have their best chance yet to land the Arsenal contract rebel, having already opened talks over a possible transfer.
The interest in Lacazette makes sense, considering Luis Suarez is in the twilight of his career while Matheus Cunha is yet to settle in completely since arriving in the summer. However, Atletico Madrid face stiff competition from Barcelona in the race to sign the Arsenal striker.
Recently, there have been suggestions that Barcelona could make a January move for Lacazette. However, the report has not indicated whether he is a summer or winter target for the Blaugrana. The Catalan giants need to sign a striker following Sergio Aguero’s concerning heart issue, with recent rumours claiming that the Argentine could be forced into retirement.
However, Barcelona have an uphill task ahead of them if they are to land Lacazette, who will prefer joining Atletico Madrid when he leaves Arsenal. The appeal of playing under Diego Simeone has been a major factor in the veteran striker’s decision. Still, it will be interesting to see if Barcelona can turn his head with an attractive offer. For now, Lacazette is leaning towards joining Atletico Madrid, though.
