The latest development has raised a lot of eyebrows and has even prompted a strong response from his club manager Mikel Arteta.
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Alexandre Lacazette has left the Arsenal fans concerned after revealing that he has been in talks with multiple clubs. The future of Lacazette, who enters the final weeks of his contract with the Gunners, has been unclear for a while now. With the striker regularly being linked with an exit in recent years, the Frenchman could very well leave the club on a free transfer this summer. The latest development has raised a lot of eyebrows and has even prompted a strong response from his club manager Mikel Arteta.
Lacazette moved to Arsenal from French club Lyon in 2017. He has endured a mixed time at the Emirates till now, with the 30-year-old struggling to hold down a starting position in the team. This season has also seen him have his ups and downs, making it rather frustrating for the player and the club. Speaking about the clubs that have been in contact with him, Lacazette said his former club Lyon is also one of them.
“I am in discussions with a lot of clubs. I am open,” he told Canal+. “I have never cut contact with Lyon since I left. I try to return to the club once or twice a year to see the medical staff because we are really close. Lyon knows that I am free, they have come to the information.”
Lacazette was then asked whether he would accept not playing European football next campaign. He replied, “I want to play in Europe, it’s been a long time since I played in the Champions League. I’m missing it. It’s a little more complicated, nothing is impossible in life, but it’s a little more complicated.”
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Meanwhile, manager Mikel Arteta has urged Alexandre Lacazette to fully focus on Arsenal in the remaining weeks of the season. “Well, his contract situation allows him to make the decision about the future,” Arteta said in a press conference, as per their club’s website. “We have expressed clearly what our intention is, to speak in the summer when we know where we are and what we’re going to do in the future together, and for the rest I just want him fully focused on his duty, which is now defending Arsenal in the best possible way like he’s done all the time when he’s been with us.”
When further stressed about Lacazette’s focus, Arteta said, “Well, the contracts start and end with the expiry date that you have agreed on the day that you put the pen down, and then you have to live with the consequences of that. That’s the reality of the contract that he has and the commitment and the duty he has with the football club.”
Sitting sixth in the Premier League table, Arsenal are on 54 points from 31 matches this season. With seven matches left in the campaign, the Gunners have to be at the top of their game in the remaining fixtures to finish in the top four places. For that to happen, they also need Lacazette firing on all cylinders. Hence, Arteta will hope that the striker will keep the contract talks aside and will fully focus on the club in the remaining matches.
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