Arteta: Lacazette is not leaving Arsenal in January
Martin Macdonald
- 18 Oct 2021 18:25 BST
- 5 min read
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists Alexandre Lacazette will not be sold by the club in the January transfer window.
As a whole the Gunners have struggled so far this season, losing their opening three matches of the Premier League campaign versus Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City.
They would subsequently win three in a row versus Norwich, Burnley and Tottenham to enjoy an upturn in form, but a dour 0-0 draw against Brighton highlighted again the work that needs to be done by Arteta and his players to improve.
Lacazette has struggled individually, also, as Arteta is yet to hand the Frenchman a start in the Premier League in 2021/22.
TRENDING
His only start of the campaign came in a League Cup victory against Wimbledon in which he found the back of the net and recorded an assist.
In all competitions, Lacazette has been limited to 162 minutes of action.
This comes after a 2020/21 season in which he managed a respectable return of 13 goals in 22 Premier League starts.
His lack of involvement has catalysed speculation that Arsenal could look to cash-in on the centre-forward in January, but Arteta says that won't happen.
When asked directly in a press conference if Lacazette will leave, the Spaniard replied:
"No. We are focusing on getting the best out of Laca and he shows every day his commitment is here. We just want to give him the right minutes so that he can show his quality and he can help the team to do better."
Who was linked with Lacazette?
Arsenal’s last opportunity to make money from the sale of Lacazette will come in January.
Football.London reports that the 30-year-old will be the subject of much interest during the winter window, with several clubs fighting to sign him.
Conversely, though, the Daily Express suggests that Lacazette is a senior professional who is influential with the younger players in the squad, which may persuade Arsenal to keep hold of him.
Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka, two of the brightest young attackers on Arsenal’s books, are both said to be using the Frenchman to aid their development.
For this reason, Lacazette’s departure may not be as cut and dried as it once appeared.
There are numerous clubs linked with the former Lyon striker.
Atletico Madrid, Milan, Juventus and Sevilla are all associated with him. These are all clubs that have been constantly linked with Lacazette over the course of his career.
Lyon would also welcome him back, but he would likely prove too expensive for them in terms of his wages, especially if he feels he still has something to offer at the very top level.
