Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette has rejected advances from Inter Milan, who were targeting him as a replacement for Barcelona-bound Lautaro Martinez.
According to L’Equipe, as relayed by the Daily Mail, Inter Milan have faced a massive blow in their pursuit of Alexandre Lacazette. The Arsenal star is reportedly “not interested” in a move to San Siro amid speculations linking him with a move away from the Emirates.
Lacazette was apparently identified by Inter as one of the potential replacements for Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine striker has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona this summer. As a result, coach Antonio Conte is keen on securing a replacement.
Lacazette showing discontent with a potential move to Inter Milan seems rather bizarre given the club’s performances this season. Prior to Serie A‘s planned restart later this month, the Italian giants are technically still in the race for the league title, trailing league leaders Juventus by nine points, with a game in hand.
Conte’s side have indeed shown a lot of improvement this season, most notably in the attacking department. Ex-Manchester United attacker Romelu Lukaku has already redeemed himself, scoring 17 goals in 25 matches. He could have made an ideal offensive partnership with Lacazette in the Inter attack next season.
As for Arsenal, the Frenchman’s prolonged stay at Emirates might not necessarily be good news either. The ex-Lyon forward has clearly struggled to find the back of the net this season, having scored just seven goals whilst missing several golden opportunities week in week out.
Lacazette’s shortcomings in front of goal has not only made Arsenal less effective going forward, but it has also piled the pressure on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. And with the Gabonese international already being linked with a move away from Emirates, Arsenal are in need of a complete overhaul in attack.
The departure of Lacazette as well as Aubameyang, in that regard, should provide them with a significant financial boost, thus allowing Mikel Arteta to pursue players of his liking. The Gunners have recently been linked with a move for another Frenchman in Moussa Dembele, whose pace and aggression arguably makes him a better tactical fit for the club.
On the flipside, however, offloading Lacazette could leave Arsenal devoid of experienced attacking options. And with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Nicolas Pepe failing to provide the productivity, the north London giants could potentially put themselves in a spot of bother. Hence, it will be interesting to see what lies ahead in the future for Lacazette and for Arsenal.
