Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette has spoken out about his plans for the future after struggling to secure a regular spot in the team this season.
The French international joined the Gunners back in 2017 on the back of an excellent season at Ligue 1 with Olympique Lyonnais. Since then, the striker has been involved in 181 games across all competitions, scoring 68 goals and registering 29 assists in the process.
Lacazette was a regular starter under Unai Emery, but was unable to do that in Mikel Arteta’s reign and has only managed just eight Premier League appearances this term. He has also entered the final year of his contract and could potentially leave on a free transfer next summer.
Amidst the uncertainty revolving around his Arsenal career, the 30-year-old has revealed that a January exit is on the cards. The Frenchman has revealed his interest in a move away if the right offer comes along. He is also keen on a return to the French national team and believes regular club football can reignite his career.
While speaking to French outlet Telefoot, Lacazette said:
“Obviously my agents are now looking left and right a bit. But not before January – I really want to turn towards something. We’ll see what comes up, if the challenges are interesting, if the projects are nice and how I’m being counted on. So there’s still a lot of questions, and I would rather wait until January to position myself.”
“When I was in the squad before the last World Cup, and I wasn’t brought into the team, I wasn’t called up at all and it was very hard to believe that I would be in the final list to take part in the tournament. I would be a France supporter as I was in previous competitions.”
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Lacazette has not been a prolific striker since joining Arsenal. He has failed to score more than 15 goals in a season during his time at north London. However, he has been a reliable player in holding-up play and has developed a solid partnership with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The former Lyon man is a senior player at the Emirates. That experience could come in handy this summer when players like Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe leave for AFCON in January. He is more than capable of filling a position upfront and perhaps the club could offer him a short-term contract if he impresses in that period.
Young players like Gabriel Martinelli and Folarin Balogun have been knocking on the doors for a first-team appearance. The Gunners certainly possess the firepower in the striking department, but lack experienced players to lead the line. Therefore, Arsenal should keep hold of Lacazette at least until the end of this campaign.
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