Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that no talks have taken place with Alexandre Lacazette over a new contract, as per Metro.
The Frenchman has been among the goals in both of Arsenal’s Premier League games so far. His goal against West Ham United on Saturday helped him reach the 50-goal mark for the North London club.
Earlier in the transfer window, Atletico Madrid were linked with a move for the striker but the forward reiterated his commitment to stay in London. With his contract set to expire in 2022, Arteta was asked about his future.
The Spanish boss reiterated that he is happy with the striker but confirmed that negotiations between the club and player haven’t started yet. According to Metro, he said:
“He’s a player I’m really happy with. I think we’ve shown him a lot of faith since I arrived here. But we cannot start any speculation.
“We know that any player who is under two years of their contract is always going to be talked about. ‘At the moment, we haven’t started any negotiations. We have a lot of things still to do in this market and at the moment we are focusing on those things.”
The 29-year-old was in disappointing form last season managing only 12 goals in all competitions. But since the arrival of Arteta, his form has taken a turn for the better.
In the system that the manager has laid out, the striker has become a reference point for the midfielders and that has been showcased a lot in the last couple of months.
A good example of this was the FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City where he played a crucial role in the opening goal. He has started the campaign off in fine form and getting among the goals early in the season will give him a lot of confidence going forward.
The Frenchman will also have to deal with the emergence of Eddie Nketiah who has become a viable option for the manager. The Englishman got the winner on Saturday and could be set to start Tuesday’s Carabao Cup game at Leicester.
But if Lacazette can play the way he has been doing over the past few months, it will only benefit the club. Having two strikers who are capable of finding the back of the net on regular basis will be a huge bonus.
