Arsenal are reportedly considering increasing their offer for Alexandre Lacazette to meet his £50m valuation, but there’s bad news for Gunners fans.
The French striker has been linked with a move to the Emirates for over 12 months now, but as of yet Arsenal haven’t reached an agreement with Lyon over a transfer fee.
According to The Sun, the Gunners will increase their offer for him to around £50m, although competition from elsewhere is now growing aside from long-term admirers Atletico Madrid.
Whether the new bid is enough to put Arsene Wenger’s side in a prominent position to sign Lacazette remains to be seen, but Arsenal of course can’t offer Champions League football next season which is a significant factor as per this report, with Atletico Madrid in a more favourable position even though they can’t sign anyone until January due to their transfer ban.
Lacazette has been in fine form for Lyon over the past three seasons, scoring 20+ goals in each of the last three Ligue 1 campaigns, while he enjoyed his most prolific season last year with 37 goals in 45 games in all competitions.
However, it seems as though that form has alerted Manchester United, with The Sun reporting that Jose Mourinho is also keen on the French forward.
It’s claimed that Lacazette has emerged as the top alternative in the event that the Red Devils can’t complete a deal for Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, and so that will be a major setback for Arsenal who will potentially have to go up against their rivals.
Question marks can be raised over the Gunners in terms of their appeal compared to the other top Premier League sides at this point, as although Arsene Wenger has now committed his future to the club, big changes will be needed after last season to ensure that Arsenal are serious contenders moving forward.