Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Transfers
Is Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette on the verge of a £60 million move to Arsenal?
Fresh reports coming from on Monday evening have outlined that Arsenal will have to fork out up to £60 million (a fee of £48.7 million, plus £10.6 million in add-ons) if they want to secure the signing of Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette.
It’s believed that Arsene Wenger has singled out the 26-year-old Frenchman as his main priority this summer.
And reports now are suggesting that the Gunners’ boss has already began engaging in talks with Lyon ahead of a move for Lacazette – and that it’s down to the Premier League side to meet their price.
Would the 26-year-old be a useful signing for Arsenal?
One fact that’s hard to avoid is that, for Arsenal to avoid lightning striking twice next season and missing out on the Champions League once again, they do need to invest in a proven world-class forward.
Alexandre Lacazette is a player that definitely fits that description, and his prolific nature in front of goal would be warmly welcomed at the Emirates after a campaign which saw their strikers struggle.
A fruitful season in Ligue One for Lyon saw him score 27 times in just 30 appearances, on top of contributing six goals in just eight matches as his side fell narrowly short in the Europa League, bowing out in the semi-finals to a youthful Ajax side.
Most effective as an out-and-out striker, the most notable attribute that Lacazette has is his pure pace in opposition territory; a defence can have a yard head-start and still be unable to catch up with him.
This, combined with his powerful and accurate shooting around the edge of the area, has proven to be lethal mix over in France and it’s likely that it would continue to cause headaches in England too.
Although he is strongest with his right foot, he has developed his weaker foot extremely well over the past few seasons in France, and his equal ability with his head lends him well to the Premier League.
He’s a player that’s not likely to shy away from big, strong defenders; if anything he’ll give back as good as he gets, and it’s this edge and grit in his game that Arsenal have been crying out for in a striking role.
There is a natural desire to press a team high up the pitch that would also endear him to the English style of play, and he carries a high work-rate that has the potential to lift the dressing room in North London.
The plus side for Arsenal is that, should an agreement be made for Lacazette, it could tempt both Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez into signing new contracts – and that’s a scarily talented trio to have.
Although his dream move to Atletico Madrid failed to materialise due to their transfer ban, as reported by the , he still has the chance to play on one of the biggest stages in the English top-flight.