Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Alexandre Lacazette, Yaya Sanogo

The transfer of Raheem Sterling has given Liverpool more ammunition in their chase of Olympique Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette, giving Arsenal another big rival in the hunt for the talented France international.

The Reds cashed in on Sterling on Tuesday, via BBC Sport, selling the England international to Manchester City for a fee that could reach £49 million. Fans will expect the money to be reinvested in another top talent, and via the London Evening Standard's Vaishali Bhardwaj, a recent 90min poll made it clear who their favourite target is:

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In a 90min fan poll conducted on Monday, more than 50 per cent of Liverpool fans asked said they wanted Brendan Rodgers to re-invest the transfer fee gained by the sale of Sterling in Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette.

In fact, 55 per cent of the 60,748 respondents chose the France international - who has also been linked with Arsenal - while Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain came in second place with 22 per cent of the vote.

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The Reds are on the list of teams reportedly interested in Lacazette, per L'Equipe (h/t talkSPORT) and have a clear need for a talented scorer to play alongside Daniel Sturridge.

The 24-year-old had an incredible season for Lyon in 2014-15, scoring almost at will, and he's currently one of the hottest names on the transfer market. The Gunners are often mentioned as a potential destination, and WhoScored's Martin Laurence thinks it's a move manager Arsene Wenger has to make, via Sky Sports:

Lacazette brings mobility and deadly efficiency to the pitch, always putting himself in a position to score and making the most of his chances. He's the focal point of Lyon's attack, and while we can't know how he'd fare when the team isn't built around him, his great instincts indicate he'd be a smash hit no matter where he played.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool could use a player of his calibre, but a transfer in 2015 is unlikely. Lyon are a club very much on the rise and will soon move into a new stadium, and it's pivotal they keep their positive momentum going. Keeping hold of star players such as Lacazette and Nabil Fekir is a part of that.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Johnson is certain Lacazette won't leave before Euro 2016:

The Gunners and Reds both have the financial capabilities to make a move work, and Arsenal have the advantage of Champions League football, something Liverpool can't offer. But as of right now, a transfer seems unlikely.

Loan Deal for Yaya Sanogo?

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Yaya Sanogo didn't travel with his team-mates for their pre-season tour, and according to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, the Gunners are in talks about a loan deal with Ajax for the out-of-favour forward:

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Ajax are discussing a season-long loan deal with Arsenal for striker Yaya Sanogo.

The 22-year-old has yet to cement a place in the Arsenal squad since his move from Auxerre in 2013 and spent part of last season on loan at Crystal Palace. 

He could link up with ex-Arsenal striker Dennis Bergkamp, who is assistant manager at Ajax.

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The 22-year-old has so far failed to make the grade at the Emirates, as he continues to struggle with his efficiency in front of goal. Sanogo has all of the physical tools to be a successful striker, but he's yet to put it all together and live up to his potential.

As shared by Sport Witness, Ajax have a peculiar policy against heavy spending, and the Dutch club mainly relies on its incredible ability to nurture young talent:

From that perspective, a season in Amsterdam could be the best thing that ever happened to Sanogo. Ajax's success with forwards in particular is world renowned, and with Richairo Zivkovic out on loan with Willem II, via Dutch Football, there's an open spot in the rotation.

Gunners fans shouldn't expect any miracles, however. While Sanogo will have the chance to learn and develop, he won't be an immediate starter for Ajax and could spend a significant amount of time on the bench.

Arkadiusz Milik is the obvious starter in the centre and super talent Ricardo Kishna will also see plenty of minutes. Add a healthy Viktor Fischer to the mix and Ajax's attack seems fairly set.

All that said, another loan is the logical next step for Sanogo, and there are worse places to spend the year than in Amsterdam. The Dutch Eredivisie hasn't got the greatest defensive reputation, so at the very least, he should be able to find the net with some regularity, which would be a big confidence boost.

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