Juventus have reportedly made contact with the entourage of Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette as they look to find a replacement for Gonzalo Higuain this summer.
The 29-year-old has been a key figure for the Gunners since he joined the club in 2017, but he hasn’t had the best of seasons so far this year.
SEE MORE: ‘The situation is really bad’ – Arsenal handed huge boost in their efforts to keep Dani Ceballos
Lacazette has managed 12 goals and six assists in 35 appearances across all competitions, while at times he has been left out of Mikel Arteta’s starting XI.
His current contract runs until 2022 and so Arsenal are still in a good position to take their time over making a decision on his future, but speculation is suggesting that they will come under pressure to keep him from Juventus.
According to Calciomercato, the reigning Serie A champions have made contact with his representatives to open initial talks over a potential move to Turin, with the Bianconeri looking for a replacement for stalwart Higuain.
It’s added that Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik is another target on their transfer radar and that Lacazette isn’t just a Plan B option, but it’s also noted that the clubs have yet to begin talks over a transfer, and so it seems as though this is still some way off becoming a realistic move this summer.
From a Juventus perspective, it’s easy to see why Lacazette would be identified as a solution given he’s a little younger than Higuain but still has great experience at the top level to come in and make an immediate impact.
For Arsenal, with doubts over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future at the Emirates with his contract expiring in 2021, it remains to be seen if that situation has a knock-on effect for his French teammate and pushes him closer to an exit in order to boost the hopes of the Gunners to keep their talismanic frontman instead.