The French striker is on the crossroads of considering his future at Arsenal, after realising he could be the second choice striker for the whole season.
Alexandre Lacazette might have become Arsenal’s record signing last summer, but since the beginning of the current season, he has seen himself on the bench more than he would have expected. The Mail are reporting the French striker might be seriously considering his Arsenal future while the European transfer window still open.
If Arsenal broke their transfer record last summer with Lacazette’s purchase, the North Londoners eclipsed the £53 million they paid for the Frenchman with the purchase of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Since the Gabonese arrived in January of this year, he has not only broken Lacazette’s transfer record but has also usurped his place in the starting XI.
Unai Emery, during pre-season, used both forwards in some capacity but is yet to start them together in a game in the Premier League. With the Spaniard open about his preference of a lone striker up front, his first choice has been Aubameyang over Lacazette, despite the Frenchman putting in more impressive performances so far this season, albeit from the bench.
Both strikers are yet to score this season, but Lacazette’s contribution in Arsenal first win of the season against West Ham last weekend would not have gone unnoticed. However, there is a feeling that Emery would retain his formation with a lone striker and more likely pick the Gabonese over Lacazette.
While Lacazette fears he could on the bench for most parts of the current season, he is thought to be considering his future, with the European window still open for another day, and if an attractive offer is to come his way, he might think about it.
Lacazette had a mixed start to his Arsenal career. Much was expected from the Frenchman after his goal-scoring exploits in France with Lyon for the last few seasons. However, Lacazette ended up as Arsenal’s top scorer last season with 18 strikes in all competitions, but remained far from convincing as Arsenal finished in a disappointing 6th in the Premier League.
Furthermore, there was a prolonged period last season when he went without a goal, as well as an unfortunate injury that ruled him out for much of the second half of the season. This ultimately led to his omission from the French national squad that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
There were also reports earlier in the summer that Arsenal were ready to part ways with the Frenchman, as part of the need to trim down the squad. But now the belief is that Lacazette and Aubameyang could be paired and used properly by Emery, beginning this process at some point of the season.
With less than a day remaining before the European transfer window shuts, there is little or no chance for the Frenchman to leave, and Lacazette himself would want to give another shot to shine for Arsenal. He will likely be pushing Aubameyang to the edge and fight for a place in the Arsenal starting lineup during the current season.
