The Gunners are willing to offer £34.2 million and begin talks to sign Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Arsene Wenger is so determined to sign a marquee striker for Arsenal this summer, the Frenchman is reportedly ready to pay £34.2 million to convince Lyon to sell Alexandre Lacazette.
In fact, Wenger has already been working on a potential deal, according to Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph:
"It is believed that the Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who is working as a television pundit during the tournament, used covering France’s recent match against the Republic of Ireland in Lyon as an opportunity to meet Lacazette’s representatives."
Burt also stated how €40 million is merely an offer good enough to begin talks, even though it’s a fee the Gunners have indicated their willingness to pay. It’s hardly a surprise Wenger is ready to go to such lengths to sign Lacazette. He’s already been rebuffed by Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy in his attempt to bolster a forward line that was lacklustre for much of the 2015/16 season.
Yet the interest in Vardy, a jet-heeled attacker quick enough to stretch any defense, showed exactly what type of striker Wenger is seeking. Specifically, he’s looking for pace. It’s the one quality static target man Olivier Giroud simply doesn’t possess.
Pace is also the attribute that used to define Arsenal as an attacking force during Wenger’s glory days. When the Gunners bossed the Premier League from 2001-04, they relied on fleet-of-foot strikers such as Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Nwankwo Kanu to expose defences.
Even some of Wenger’s less successful experiments, Jose Antonio Reyes, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott, were all defined by the speed with which they attacked.
It’s Walcott’s failure to deliver that is clearly motivating Wenger’s choice of targets this summer. The inconsistent England international has never fused his lightning pace with the other core attributes of an effective centre-forward, namely intelligent movement and class in front of goal.
Lacazette exemplifies both of the latter qualities, as he proved by netting 21 goals in Ligue 1 last season, per WhoScored.com. More than the goals though, the 25-year-old is a perceptive mover between the lines, ideal for the slick passing game Wenger encourages playmakers like Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla to execute.
Lacazette’s experience playing wide and even as a No. 10 with Lyon has not only varied the runs he makes, it’s also improved his on-the-ball quality, making him a striker who can both score and create goals.
Lacazette has everything Wenger needs at the heart of Arsenal’s attack, but signing him is unlikely to be easy. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas recently indicated his star player will stay in the French top flight, according to the club’s official Twitter, via ESPN FC.
However, this is one deal Wenger should still push hard to make happen. Lacazette is the classic Arsenal striker Wenger’s Gunners have been missing for too long.
For more soccer coverage, visit our soccer hub page.