Would Isak be the ideal Lacazette replacement for Arsenal?
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 19 Oct 2021 17:16 BST
- 4 min read
Alexandre Lacazette cost Arsenal £46.5 million, plus a further £6.1m in potential bonuses when the North London club signed him from Lyon.
That was back in 2017, and despite his incredible goal-scoring record in France, he hasn't quite hit the same heights in the Premier League.
Heavily criticised throughout his time at Arsenal, Lacazette has been somewhat of an underrated player at the Emirates. He's hit double digits for league goals in every campaign he's spent at the club, and last year he managed 13 in just 22 starts.
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However, at the start of this season, he has been reduced to a role on the bench, yet to start a league game in 2021/22. He did come off the bench to net a last-minute equaliser against Crystal Palace, but it still seems as though the Gunners want him gone; with his contract expiring in 2022, that's no great surprise, and the Frenchman could well leave on a free transfer.
If he does go, which is looking increasingly likely, then Arsenal will have to sign a replacement - a process they've reportedly already begun.
That's according to The Mirror, who have revealed that the hierarchy at Arsenal have landed on Alexander Isak of Real Sociedad as the ideal replacement for Lacazette.
A potential stumbling block in Arsenal's pursuit could be Barcelona, who are also rumoured to be circling around Isak. AS have reported that if the Blaugrana can't sign dream target Erling Haaland, then Isak is their alternative.
However, a move still seems unlikely with Barcelona's financial woes. If Arsenal can convince Isak, then a move could be completed. But, would he be a good option for the Gunners?
Would Isak be an ideal Lacazette replacement?
After struggling at Borussia Dortmund, Isak has found his feet at Sociedad, via a trip to Willem in the Eredivisie. A nine league goal first campaign was nothing to write home about, but he netted 17 La Liga goals in just 30 starts during the 2020/21 season.
That, coupled with an impressive European Championship with Sweden, is why he's on Arsenal's radar.
Comparing Isak and Lacazette's stats from last season, a fairly accurate picture can be painted.
Isak's shots per 90 tally was exactly 1.0 more than Lacazette, while his key passes per 90 total was 0.6 less than the Frenchman's. Essentially, Lacazette is far more creative than Isak, who is a high volume shooter. They're different players, with Isak tending to stay on the last man, while Lacazette prefers to drop deep.
Both complete a relatively average amount of dribbles, so it's their style of play in terms of playmaking or goal-scoring that really differs.
As Isak showed at the Euros, he excels on the shoulder of the last defender, with his quick burst of pace enabling him to be devastating on the counter-attack. Lacazette is far more suited to a possession-dominant side than Isak is.
In fact, Isak is more akin to Lacazette's teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang than the Frenchman.
So, Isak wouldn't be a like-for-like replacement for Lacazette, but he would improve the youth of Arsenal's attack, and it would be smart business if they were to pursue it.
How much would Isak cost?
According to FootballTransfers' algorithm, which combines a multitude of factors, Isak's current value is €45m, which would be a fee that Sociedad would likely accept.
However, the question would be whether Arsenal are willing to pay that. Lacazette obviously cost them more, but he had proven himself consistently in Ligue 1 - Isak is yet to do that, but he certainly has time on his side.
