Granit Xhaka has stressed the importance of Arsenal teammate Alexandre Lacazette, who offers a lot more to the team than just goals.
Lacazette is set to leave the club in the summer, as he is yet to sign an extension on his deal which runs out this year. Xhaka has emphasised the importance of Lacazette to Arsenal’s current form, even if he isn’t scoring every week.
“In the end, people want him to score. People only see if players score. But people sometimes don’t see how important he is for us, not only on the pitch but as well off the pitch. On the pitch, he is an amazing player and he understands the game so good with the quality he has,” Xhaka said to Premier League Productions (via The Independent)
Talks between the club and Lacazette have been put on hold until the summer, but letting your main striker leave on a free doesn’t make too much sense. Although Arsenal may be looking to sign a new forward, Lacazette has captained the side and put in some impressive performances.
Even if he’s not going to be starting every week next season, extending his contract just to have him in and around the team would be a smart move.
The French forward has only managed two non-penalty goals this season, but has turned into a creative striker this year. The 30-year-old has contributed seven assists in his 16 league starts.