Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette is reportedly being lined up as a potential replacement for Antoine Griezmann by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.
According to a report from the Mirror, La Liga heavyweights Atletico Madrid are plotting a summer swoop for Arsenal superstar Alexandre Lacazette, as they look to bring in a replacement for the exit-bound Antoine Griezmann.
Atletico Madrid are set to lose Griezmann this summer, with the World Cup winner believed to be closing in on a transfer to La Liga champions Barcelona, a year after snubbing a chance to move to Camp Nou. This would leave a gaping hole in Los Rojiblancos’ attack, especially with Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata having not been in the best of form over the last season.
To fill the vacancy created by Griezmann’s impending move to Barcelona, Atletico Madrid are looking at his compatriot and Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette, the report from the Mirror claims.
Lacazette, 28, joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Lyon in the summer of 2017 for a then club-record fee of £46.5 million and has established himself as a key member of the Gunners’ squad, having struck up an excellent partnership with fellow striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who joined six months later.
Till date, Lacazette has racked up 88 appearances for Arsenal bagging 36 goals in the process, 19 of which came in the 2018-19 season. The 28-year-old has also assisted 18 goals during his time in North London.
Arsenal missing out on Champions League football for a third season in a row has cast doubts over the futures of a number of their star players. Aubameyang has been linked with an exit recently, while Lacazette himself had been rumoured to be a target for La Liga champions Barcelona, who are in the market for a long-term heir for Luis Suarez.
Atletico, having finished second in the La Liga last season, will be playing in the Champions League next season and are hoping to use that to their advantage to try and pry away Lacazette from Arsenal.
This puts Arsenal in a bit of a tricky situation. While they would not want to lose a key cog in their side, especially with Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck leaving after their contracts ran down, they could be tempted by a big offer from Atletico, as they are in dire need of transfer funds.
Lacazette has a contract with Arsenal that runs till the summer of 2022. The French international is an important member of the Gunners’ squad, but it will be interesting to see if they decide to keep hold of him or offload him should a huge offer from Atletico come along.
