Arsenal are facing the prospect of losing striker Alexandre Lacazette for nothing in just three months.
The Frenchman is now out of contract and will be able to begin negotiations with foreign clubs about a precontract agreement in January.
After being ruled out of two matches with Covid this season, Lacazette only played 30 minutes in Premier League football this season. He was a substitute for Manchester City’s 5-0 loss.
Rumours have circulated that Lacazette’s time at Arsenal may be over.
And ESPN report that the Gunners have not offered Lacazette a new contract yet.
(Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta claimed back in April that the player’s future would be resolved over the summer.
But after spending a whopping £140m on new additions, Lacazette’s contract situation seems to have slipped down the to-do list.
Arteta defended Lacazette’s insufficient minutes so far this term, insisting he will play a key role this season.
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“He’s fully involved,” Arteta said. “You give the reasons why he hasn’t played more minutes and he will be back to the form that he can achieve.
“He will undoubtedly be a key to our success.”
It remains to be seen if the situation with Lacazette will change with time, but he has been linked to a number of big clubs in recent months.
Atletico Madrid are understood to have a long-standing interest in the 30-year-old.
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Sevilla, Juventus, and AC Milan are also keeping an eye on developments out of the Emirates.
Lacazette joined Arsenal back in July 2017 for a then-club record fee of £46.5m, and has gone on to scored 66 goals in 172 appearances, winning the FA Cup in 2020.
However, he struggled to score last season. He scored just 17 goals in 47 matches.