The most recent reports have claimed that Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have listed Arsenal center forward Alexandre Lacazette as their top priority signing in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Gunners finished in fifth place on the Premier League table and will not be eligible to play Champions League football next season. However, Unai Emery’s team still has the chance to qualify for the prestigious tournament if they manage to beat Chelsea in the Europa League final later this month.
One player who has thoroughly proved his worth to Arsenal football club this season has been French attacker Alexandre Lacazette. The 27-year-old striker has come up with the most crucial goals for the North London side this season and stepped up when it mattered most.
Lacazette has scored 19 goals this season and also notched up eight assists across all competitions attracting heavy interest from several European suitors. La Liga champions Barcelona were keen on bringing Lacazette to the Camp Nou following his impressive campaign to replace the aging Luis Suarez as the club’s main master marksman.
Despite Arsenal shutting down any advances for Lacazette, there is still a slight possibility that he would leave the Emirates Stadium in the summer.
World Cup-winning forward Antoine Griezmann revealed earlier this month that he will leave Atletico Madrid this summer and the rojiblancos will have to start looking for a replacement. Griezmann’s most likely destination will be Barcelona but Atletico Madrid should receive a massive transfer fund for the 28-year-old French star.
Although Atletico manager Diego Simone insisted that they won’t be looking for like-to-like big name replacement for Antoine Greizemann.
‘We’re not looking for a star to replace Griezmann, we aren’t that club,’ he said pre-match press conference.
‘Instead we will search for someone like we did with Griezmann when he came from Real Sociedad.
‘We had Torres, Forlan, Agüero, Falcao, Mandzukic, Griezmann… and we always competed in the same way, because this club’s structure and strength isn’t like it used to be. In the last 10 years, we’ve seen that the club is more important than any one of us.’
The Spanish capital side will then use that to reinvest in Lacazette, who has the potential and ability to step into Greizmann’s boots. Arsenal will then have to reconsider whether they want to cash in on Lacazette who arrived in England at a club record deal of £46.5 million back in 2017.
