Scouting Report on Arsenal Transfer Target Alexandre Lacazette

As we move into July, Arsenal’s search for a new striker appears set to intensify. Arsene Wenger will be acutely aware that he needs to move fast, as options are dwindling with each passing day. With that in mind, perhaps it’s no surprise that Wenger could be set to return to France, a familiar hunting ground, to examine the potential of Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette.

Initially, it seemed that England’s Jamie Vardy would be the man Arsenal landed this summer. However, despite Arsenal triggering his release clause, he chose to sign an extension with Leicester City, per PremierLeague.com.

Vardy is one of several players who now appear out of reach. For example, Simon Jones of the Daily Mail also reports that Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi could be set to join London rivals Chelsea. 

Wenger must move quickly to prevent Arsenal being left empty-handed in this window. The fact that he was after Vardy gives an indication as to the kind of striker he wants: quick, mobile with a clinical streak.

Lacazette could fit the bill. Jason Burt of the Telegraph has written that Wenger has already held preliminary talks with the player’s agents:

"Wenger is understood to have met with the representatives of [Lacazette] to discuss a deal to sign the highly rated Lyon striker. Bids for Lacazette from West Ham United and [Paris Saint-Germain] have already been turned down by the French club but Arsenal have now expressed an interest," Burt said.

Perhaps the real surprise here is that it’s taken so long for Arsenal to get involved in the tug of war over Lacazette’s future. In many respects, he is an archetypal Wenger signing: young, athletic and even French.

Lacazette has spent his entire career at Lyon—the same club that developed Karim Benzema. He first made his presence in the first team felt back in 2009/10. Although his contributions were fleeting, his electric speed and quick mind were immediately evident.

Like many of Wenger’s striking proteges, Lacazette began his career out wide. Wenger has spoken publicly of the benefit he believes a player can derive from an apprenticeship on the flank.

Speaking about Aaron Ramsey, the Gunners boss told Arsenal.com: "I believe we have seen many times that when players are pushed against the line they need to shorten their technique. When they come back into the middle again, they are better players."

In the course of his time as Arsenal manager, Wenger has successfully converted the likes of Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie from wingers to centre-forwards. Lacazette has already undertaken that transition, and the results have been very positive—in a chat with journalist Dan Levy, he even went so far as to reveal that a chat with Henry had a major impact on his transformation.

2014/15 was the season he became a continental sensation. After Lisandro Lopez left Lyon in 2013, Lacazette had been steadily groomed to take up his mantle as the team’s goalscorer in chief.

He took to the challenge superbly, taking just two years to transform into one of the most dangerous strikers in Europe. In 2014/15, he netted 27 goals in 33 games, surpassing Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the league's top scorer and being named as the Ligue 1 Player of the Year. 

His progress has not slowed dramatically since then. Last season, he scored 21 goals in 34 Ligue 1 appearances. Squawka suggests he was impressively clinical, hitting the target with 57 percent of his attempts at goal—the same ratio as Vardy. Crucially, it’s also a superior success rate to that managed by Arsenal’s current centre-forward, Olivier Giroud, who tested the goalkeeper on 54 percent of occasions. 

The eerie statistical similarity continues with the fact that both players created over 40 chances for their team-mates. Lacazette forged 43 goalscoring opportunities, while Vardy created 46.

There are flaws in his game, though. Lacazette is not exactly a powerhouse in the air, standing at just 5’8”—marginally shorter than Vardy and significantly smaller than Giroud. However, part of the reason Arsenal are pursuing a speedy centre-forward is to encourage a change in style.

The Gunners may have to accept that it would be difficult to field a striker who offers both pace on the break and a significant aerial threat.

Although Lacazette has the versatility to play from either flank, it’s been some time since he did so consistently. Arsenal would not be acquiring him as a wide forward—he would join to play through the middle. The appeal is obvious—all too often, Giroud lacks the pace to run on to the incisive passing of Mesut Ozil.  

Lacazette not only has the speed to reel in those through balls, but he has the intelligence to make the right runs. He stays in perpetual motion up front, pulling centre-backs out of position with his constant diagonal sprints.

He’s quick with the ball too: He’s arguably a superior dribbler to Vardy, able to drop his shoulder and beat a man with a piece of impudent skill. In a crowded penalty area, Lacazette has the presence of mind and the technical ability to find space.

His two-footedness enables him to exploit any available channel of space in opposing defences. His ability to shoot with either foot also makes him a real handful for defenders. If they get too tight to him, he is capable of turning away to shoot on either side.

PHILIPPE DESMAZES/Getty Images

Lacazette would be considerably more expensive than Vardy. The Telegraph cite a potential fee of £40 million, which seems to be roughly the going rate for a top-class goalscorer these days. However, it’s worth pointing out that while Vardy is 29 and arguably beyond his peak, Lacazette only turned 25 last month. Arsenal would be signing him as a long-term investment and ensuring they got him in his prime. 

The longer Arsenal wait to recruit a new striker, the more difficult it will become. The failed bid for Vardy made it patently clear they're in the market, and selling clubs could react by raising prices. As the window gets closer to closing, those clubs will be in a stronger position. If Wenger has decided that Lacazette is his man, he should act fast to secure him.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.