Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has reportedly already held face-to-face talks with Atletico Madrid over a potential transfer this summer.
The Frenchman’s Gunners future has looked in doubt for some time now, with the Times recently reporting that he had an agreement in place with the club to leave at the end of this season if they miss out on qualification for next year’s Champions League.
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This seems fair enough for a player of Lacazette’s calibre, especially given he isn’t even a guaranteed starter under Mikel Arteta anyway after a slightly disappointing spell in north London.
According to Soccer Link, Lacazette has already been approached directly by Atletico sporting director Andrea Berta, and the move to Madrid could well be a step up for the 28-year-old.
Diego Simeone’s side recently won the Europa League and have also been in two Champions League finals in the last decade, while they hold a 1-0 aggregate lead over reigning European champions Liverpool in their last 16 tie this season.
It’s easy to see why Lacazette might be tempted by such a move, with Arsenal currently facing an uphill struggle to get that all-important top four spot.
AFC were recently dumped out of the Europa League by Olympiacos so can no longer qualify via winning that competition, though in truth the manner of their exit suggests they’re far from ready to compete in Europe’s top club competition.