Arsenal are no stranger to having a striker in the last twelve months of their contract, as it’s happened with Robin van Persie, Alexis Sanchez and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in the recent past.
The latest player to face that situation is Alexandre Lacazette as his deal expires in the summer of 2022, and it led to Chris Wheatley being asked about his future in an Instagram Live Q and A:
It’s an interesting situation for Lacazette because he turned 30 in May and that means his next move will probably be his best chance to secure one final big contract, and that will be easier to do if there’s no transfer fee involved.
The biggest sides often have problems offloading players in high salaries unless they are a star, and the issue with Lacazette is that he’s a very good player but he’s not good enough for one of the elite sides to build around him for the next few years.
There could also be a knock-on effect if he stays as it’s likely to limit playing time for players like Martinelli, Nketiah and Balogun, while Lacazette could even become the third choice player if another striker is signed.
It appears that if Arsenal could sell him then they would certainly be open to letting him go, and Wheatley’s point about keeping an eye on this in the next few weeks suggests it’s still not really clear what could happen.
Obviously, WE have a management issue at all levels..