AC Milan are reportedly ready to rival Newcastle United in the race to sign Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette in January.
According to Calciomercato, AC Milan have become the latest club to join the race to sign Alexandre Lacazette. The Arsenal forward has emerged as a hot prospect in the market, with his current contract at the Emirates expiring at the end of the season.
Milan are expected to face stiff competition from Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and Marseille, in the pursuit of Lacazette. The Frenchman is widely tipped to depart the Emirates in January, as Arsenal look to avoid seeing him leave the club for a free transfer next summer.
A member of the Arsenal side since 2017, Lacazette has had a mixed time in North London. The forward initially enjoyed an excellent start to life in England but has had to live in the shadows of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the large part of his stint at Arsenal.
The Frenchman has made a total of 180 competitive appearances for the club, scoring 68 goals while mustering 29 assists. However, in recent years, he has struggled with his form in front of goal despite showcasing an immense work ethic in the final third. As a result, Arsenal are prepared to offload in January, hoping to make way for a more productive centre forward.
Newcastle United are on hand to secure the services of the former Lyon striker in the winter transfer window. It appears new manager Eddie Howe considers him as the ideal man to spearhead the attack during the second half of the campaign, as they look to turn things around after being taken over by a Saudi Arabia-based consortium.
However, the recent interest from AC Milan might not bode well for Lacazette’s suitors, including Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Newcastle United.
The Rossoneri have no shortage of experienced centre forwards in their ranks, as they boast the services of Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, neither of them are likely to stick for long, while the in-form Rafael Leao has become a target for Manchester City. It has prompted the club to look for reinforcements in the market, with Lacazette being identified as an ideal target.
It remains unlikely that Arsenal will stand in Lacazette’s way, should the forward look to make the switch to San Siro mid-season. However, it will be interesting to see how the competitors respond to Milan’s interest, as they all look to battle it out for the services of the Frenchman this January.
