The Arsenal board are taking the club in thection of youth as they build a team that should be competitive for many years to come. The club is gradually phasing out the more experienced players in its setup. The plan to rely on youthful players means a few players will not be renewing their contracts. Top of this list is Bernd Leno and Alexandre Lacazette. The latter is attracting interest from both Italy and Spain.
Barcelona has now joined Atletico Madrid with a reported interest in the French striker.
These days, Barcelona seem to be attracted to any player in the market that is cheap. The financial mess the club finds itself is a factor behind the Catalans looking for quality at a reasonable price.
Following the departure of Lionel Messi in the summer, Los Blaugrana went into rebuild mode that saw the team acquiring the services of Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay on a free transfer. They also narrowly missed out on Georginio Wijnaldum, who ended up at Paris St Germain.
Barcelona interested in Lacazette
Luuk de Jong was last-minute recruitment for Los Blaugrana, but the Dutchman’s start to the season is underwhelming. The Catalan club has seen their attack depleted by departures and injuries and are keen to bolster that department.
According to Fichajes, as cited by the Daily Star, Barcelona are keen to bring Lacazette to Camp Nou in January.
The cost implication of the player is a heavy attraction to Barcelona. The player will become a free agent in January.
It is not a straightforward affair for Barcelona as they will have to compete with the likes of Atletico, who Le10Sport reports are also in contention for the player’s signature. According to the media outlet, Los Colchoneros recently met with Lacazette’s representatives.
Other clubs that have indicated an interest in the player are Juventus, while Roma and Sevilla are not far behind in their interest in the player.
Lacazette on the way out
Alexandre Lacazette will be out of contract at the end of the season and would be free to talk to other clubs in January. However, Arsenal do not want to lose the player for free and are willing to sell in January for a low fee.
Lacazette has found game time at Arsenal hard to come by, and amid much interest from abroad, the player is ready to test his wits outside. The 30-year-old no longer features in Mikel Arteta’s plans and would not mind leaving.
The Gunners Carabao Cup win was his first start of the season. They beat Wimbledon 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Lacazette scored the opener to bring his tally at the club to 63 goals in 173 appearances.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
