West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur striker target discusses why he didn’t come to the Premier League in the summer despite ‘very interesting offers’.
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold
Hammers co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold pledged to make a marquee striker signing in the summer as the club made the big move to their new 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium home.
It failed to materialise, though, with bids knocked back for a host of strikers including Michy Batshuayi who joined Chelsea, Carlos Bacca who remained at AC Milan and French star Alexandre Lacazette who stayed with Lyon.
Slaven Bilic was said to have had a bid of more than £40 million rejected for Lacazette, as reported by the likes of Sky Sports in the summer.
Goal scorer: Alexandre Lacezette
But fans have been sceptical about that ever since given Bilic ended up with flops Simone Zaza and Andre Ayew as their striker signings with yet to barely register a shot on target let alone a goal in the claret and blue.
Spurs were also linked with a move for Lacazette and were favourites to sign him after West Ham’s much-publicised failure, as reported by The Mirror.
Mauricio Pochettino wanted another quality striker to partner Harry Kane but ended up bringing in Vincent Janssen as back-up to the North Londoners’ talisman.
Frenchman has 11 goals in 12 games this season
Now Lacazette has lifted the lid on the real reason he did not come to the Premier League in an interview with French media outlet Le Progres and revealed he could still leave in the near future.
“We will see next June what presents itself and what will offer us the best… we will see,” the 25-year-old told Le Progres.
“Loads of names of great clubs have circulated and that makes me happy. I will have to think.
Lacazette may yet move to the Premier League
“This summer, there were some very interesting offers. But the president, for the good of the club, said no. And I understand that.
“It might be the opposite in the future. He will understand that an offer could be important for the club. I am happy at Lyon.
“We will see this summer. For me, to stay next year would not be a bad thing. Aside from that, I am open to everything that could happen outside. I am arriving at an age where you need to take decisions.”
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino
The fortunes of both sides could have been so different already had they managed to snare Lacazette who has bagged 11 goals in 12 games so far this season.
Spurs have been dumped out of the Champions League after struggling to score the goals to advance from the group stages.
Meanwhile West Ham were dumped out of Europe in qualifying and languish in 17th place in the Premier League, one point and one place off the bottom three with their failure to close out games proving their undoing.
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