Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette has found himself out of the first-team picture.
Former player Emmanuel Petit is the latest pundit who suggests Alexandre Lacazette must show an improvement or face an Arsenal exit this summer as he hints at a loss of confidence in the striker, the Sun reports.
Lacazette only joined Arsenal last summer for what was then a club record fee; a deal many pundits, supporters and observers alike praised at the time.
Unfortunately for the French international, his stint in North London has not really got going and the January arrivals of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan saw him named as an unused substitute in the 5-1 win over Everton.
Speaking to reporters, Petit feels that boss Arsene Wenger has lost confidence in the striker and suggests that, without improvement, Lacazette could be pushed out this summer after only one season at the Emirates Stadium.
“Lacazette is under massive pressure. He needs to improve or face the exit this summer,” Petit explained to the Sun.
“Aubameyang’s signing tells me it might already be too late. Arsene Wenger’s belief in Lacazette has gone. After six months his statistics are not exactly tremendous. Auba is exactly the man Arsenal need.”
Since joining Arsenal Lacazette has only scored nine goals in 25 matches and many feel he is too easily bullied by Premier League defenders.
Aubameyang’s arrival from Borussia Dortmund will no doubt see him become the club’s number one striker, leaving Wenger with a decision to make in regard to keeping the balance in the team.
He surely cannot play Aubameyang, Lacazette, Mesut Ozil and Mkhitaryan in the same team, as four players with little defensive nous would leave the Gunners widely exposed at the back.
To play Lacazette and Aubameyang together, there is only room for one attacking midfielder, but dropping Ozil or Mkhitaryan would see a loss of control in possession and arguably the creative spark needed in the final third.
Wenger has been left with a predicament and following Ozil’s new contract, evidence suggests that Lacazette may be the one who has to make way.
At 26, the former Lyon ace is not exactly a player in the development stage of his career and, with Danny Welbeck also on the books, Arsenal are covered in terms of a back-up striker – a role Lacazette surely would not be content with.
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