Paul Merson has joked that Arsenal will now hand Alexandre Lacazette a new ‘£400k-a-week’ contract after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s exit, as he told Sky Sports News (01/02/22 at 7:15 pm).
The Sky pundit added that all Lacazette has to do is score ‘ten goals’ from now until the end of the season and Arsenal will put a big-money deal on the table for him.
Lacazette is out-of-contract in north London in the summer and it remains to be seen whether or not he signs on the dotted line.
When it comes to contracts, Arsenal aren’t too good at handing out deals, the likes of Mesut Ozil and Aubameyang are prime examples.
With Lacazette nearing his 31st birthday, it will be interesting to see how the club deals with their soon-to-be out-of-contract star.
But, this is what Merson said about Arsenal’s forward situation after Aubameyang’s exit and what could happen with Lacazette.
“They aren’t going to have a centre-forward but the plan will probably be Lacazette will probably get ten goals before the end of the season,” said Merson.
“Then they will probably give him £400k-a-week.”
There is big pressure on Lacazette’s shoulders now because he is the senior striker at the club.
There is Eddie Nketiah, but he is yet to score a Premier League goal this season, and just like his teammate, he is also out-of-contract in the summer.
That leaves the Gunners in a difficult situation because they may have to bring not just one, but perhaps three strikers in during the summer.
Either way, the business, or lack of it, Arsenal conducted during the January transfer window might just come back to bite them in the back as they aim for a Champions League finish.
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