The signings of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have truly sent shockwaves around Arsenal football club. Arsène Wenger seemed to show his more ruthless side in the winter window, by getting rid of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud.
Now it’s argued that the Gunners look stronger than before, but despite getting rid of the chief troublemaker in Alexis Sanchez, disharmony still lies within the squad. It’s reported that Alexandre Lacazette is unhappy with no longer being the no.1 striker at the club and the 67-year-old is willing to move him on in the summer. This uproar has raised some uncomfortable questions about his future. So
Should Arsenal retain Alexandre Lacazette beyond this season?
Since arriving last summer, the Frenchman has made 28 appearances for the Gunners, only scoring 9 goals. For a £46.5million investment, that’s a poor return, and you can’t blame Arsène Wenger for bringing in a 29-year-old Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in January. But with that said, does that mean Alexandre Lacazette’s Arsenal career is over?
Rumours suggest that many clubs would be willing to capture the Frenchman’s signature in the summer. Lacazette’s goal-scoring prowess is a revered trait in world football as not many can compare to him in the penalty box. Before arriving in England, his reputation spoke for him as he had the best conversion rate in Europe’s top 5 leagues, even better than the ones of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
It’s no secret that Alexandre Lacazette has struggled immensely in an Arsenal shirt. Often at times, he’s looked out of place, unfit and to be frank, uninterested too. His staunchest defenders have claimed a lack of service and support have been the deciding factors in his lacklustre start.
That argument holds up in most cases, but not when you have Mesut Özil supplying you through balls. We’ve seen many a talented player come to England and not live up to expectations. Perhaps we must accept the fact that Alexandre Lacazette is more suited to Ligue 1?
What makes matters worse for the 26-year-old is that Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is everything he isn’t. What Alexandre Lacazette lacks in his game to excel in the Premier League, Aubameyang has them in abundance.
The Gabonese superstar has showcased those traits in little time, by scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist in 5 league games. As Arsène Wenger said, Aubameyang provides the Gunners with much-needed pace up front, allowing them to stretch opposition defences.
As we speak now, the Frenchman is recovering from a knee problem, which has forced him to miss 9 games for the Gunners. Upon his return, Arsène Wenger will need him for the upcoming Europa League quarter-finals against Spartak Moscow. Apart from Danny Welbeck, the 26-year-old is Arsenal’s only striker in the competition since Olivier Giroud left for Chelsea.
The bottom line is, Arsenal shouldn’t give up on Alexandre Lacazette so easily. This is a man that’s scored 128 goals in his senior career, averaging a goal every two games. That’s nothing to be sniffed at, and Arsène Wenger would be foolish to throw away such firepower.
