November 18, (THEWILL) – Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette is still without a contract, as he seeks a new long-term deal to continue at the north London club.
Lacazette’s current deal expires at the conclusion of the 2021/2022 campaign, and he will be free to negotiate with interested parties from all around Europe from January.
As things stand, the Frenchman appears to be on his way out of north London, but the door to a possible extension is still open, and Arsenal is eager to strike a deal, but only on their terms. And there lies the dilemma.
Arsenal do not want to give Lacazette a long-term deal because he will be 31 when the current season ends, and his form has not been particularly outstanding in recent years although he has recently shown examples of why he is an enforcer that pairs well with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in front.
However, having learnt from recent experiences, Arsenal do not want to tie themselves down with an expensive, long-term contract for Lacazette, whose extension would prevent them from bringing in a younger striker to eventually replace him and Aubameyang, who is 32 years old.
The Gunners are willing to offer Lacazette a short-term contract, but the Frenchman wants more years because he realises that the next expensive contract he signs could be his last.
The door is still open, but the two sides have significant disagreements, and if a deal is to be achieved, either Arsenal or Lacazette will have to move as January is just round the corner.
The Emirates’ leadership is already looking ahead. Fiorentina has been contacted about a transfer for Dusan Vlahovic, 21, but it is not believed that negotiations have progressed very far.
Vlahovic is alleged to have turned down the opportunity to join Arsenal in favour of a move to a team that competes in the Champions League, which has been a downside for the north London club in recent years.
Juventus, Manchester City, and Atletico Madrid have all been linked with Vlahovic, as has Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur – though a move to the other side of north London would be purely for the purpose of collaborating with the Italian, rather than to take advantage of Spurs’ ability to offer top-flight continental football.
Hopefully, the chinks in the contract situation for Lacazette are ironed out and the Frenchman remains pivotal to the rebuild currently underway at the Emirates with the fans beginning to reluctantly admit that the Mikel Arteta project has a chance.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
