Arsenal are reportedly maintaining their interest in long-term target Alexandre Lacazette ahead of this summer’s transfer window. The Gunners failed to lure the Frenchman in a £30m deal last year after it was deemed to be below Les Gones’ €40m valuation.
Lacazette, 25, has been in rich vein of form this season, and his tally of 29 goals across all competitions has heightened the interest among his suitors.
According to TalkSPORT, the Gunners are keen on a fresh approach for the France international despite the reported competition from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.
Atletico Madrid are currently helpless in the quest to keep hold of Griezmann, should Manchester United activate his £86m release clause, and this in hand could see them move for Lacazette this summer.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are somewhat in a similar position with Alexis Sanchez reluctant to pen terms over a fresh contract beyond the summer of 2018.
The north London have held a keen interest in Lacazette since the 2014-15 season, and manager Arsene Wenger recently talked up the player when recalling the backup options in hand for Les Bleus.
“I’m convinced, maybe because I’m French, but at the moment the best players in the world are in France,” he told BeIN SPORTS. “The upcoming force in international football for me is France.
“When you look at players like (Tiemoue) Bakayoko, (Alexandre) Lacazette, who are not even selected, that was not the case 10 years ago.”
The Gunners are currently six points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool, who hold a six-point advantage while playing two games more.They will nevertheless have to cope with tricky fixtures against Southampton and Leicester City in the final months while the games versus Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are no easy going for any side.
Arsenal have completed in the top-four positions ever since Wenger took over the reigns back in 1996, but they will have a tough test this time around amid the negative atmosphere surrounding the Emirates in recent months.
Lacazette is understood to have the aim of playing against Europe’s elite in the Champions League, and Arsenal’s failure to do so could dent their chances of landing the talented marksman in the summer.
