It’s pretty clear at this point that Arsenal will be offloading Alexandre Lacazette this summer.
The Frenchman has scored a paltry two goals from open play in the Premier League this season.
And with Arsenal losing their last two Premier League games, in which Lacazette struggled, Mikel Arteta and Edu won’t be extending the 30-year-old’s contract.
There’s a lot of exciting strikers being linked with replacing Lacazette, like Victor Osimhen and Darwin Nunez to name but a few.
However, Arteta could unveil a genuine candidate against Southampton on Saturday.
Arsenal supporters have been desperate to see Gabriel Martinelli deployed through the middle for a lot of the campaign.
The 20-year-old Brazilian, a £6 million signing in 2019, can be effective out wide, but there is a school of thought that suggests he could be a lot more penetrative and lethal from a number nine role.
And the Gooners might see that against the Saints.
That’s because Lacazette is a doubt to face Southampton after eagle-eyed fans failed to spot him in training in midweek.
With Arsenal low on striking options, Eddie Nketiah is the logical choice to replace Lacazette this weekend.
However, Nketiah is also out of contract in North London this summer and, being honest, he isn’t brilliant.
Unleashing Martinelli in that role not only makes tactically, with the South American a far more dynamic player than Nketiah, but it also makes sense for the long term.
He’s going to need to get used to this role if that’s what Arteta has planned for him down the line and if Lacazette is absent this weekend, there’s no time like the present.
This is what many-an-Arsenal fan has wanted to see and maybe, just maybe, they’ll get their wish.
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