Former Chelsea player and football pundit Tony Cascarino has told Sky sports in a weekly chat show that Alexandre Lacazette will join Arsenal by the end of this week. He said:
“I’ve got a few people in France who really believe that this deal will go through by the end of this week coming.
“By the next transfer window (program on Sky Sports) next weekend that deal will be done, I’m sure.”
Arsenal remain interested in signing Alexandre Lacazette and will make an improved offer for the Lyon forward, after they saw a bid of around £30m rejected for the 25 year-old striker, according to reports in Sky Sports.
According to reports, Lyon club president Jean-Michel Aulas has offered a new long term contract to the in-demand French striker.
Lacazette, capped 10 times by France, has spent his entire professional career at Lyon and scored 92 goals in 230 appearances for the club.
From his 92 goals, He scored 48 league goals only over the past two seasons and signed a new four-year contract to remain at Lyon last August.
They value Lacazette at £40m, but Aulas has repeatedly stressed that he does not expect to be negotiating the sale of his star striker this summer and expects him to be at the club for the forthcoming season.
Jean-Michel Aulas when asked about the Lacazette situation said,
We will propose to Lacazette to extend his contract to show him he is one of our greatest assets.
Arsenal are expected to step up their pursuit of Alexandre Lacazette as Arsene Wenger aims to end his summer-long search for a top class striker.
In typical fashion, Arsene Wenger has refused to say anything about the club’s transfer activity but he is clearly in no mood to let things drift and is also pursuing the likes of Mahrez and Mustafi, but nothing is final. He said,
We have not closed any deal with anybody at the moment.
That is basically the answer.
It is expected Arsenal, who are due back in the United Kingdom on Monday evening, will return with an improved bid for Lacazette, with the intention of having him at The Emirates Stadium for the opening Premier League game against Liverpool on August 14.
Arsenal have signed three players ahead of 2016/17 campaign – forward Takuma Asano, midfielder Granit Xhaka and central defender Rob Holding. They are expected to announce the signin of U-17 World cup winning captain Kelechi Nwakali in the coming days.
There is still space for an experienced center back and a prolific striker. Alexandre Lacazette fits the bill. Gooners around the world want to see it happen. Arsene Wenger, what are you waiting for ?
