Arsenal Transfer News: Alexandre Lacazette Rumours, Latest on Alvaro Morata

Arsenal are reportedly ready to meet the €40 million (£34.2 million) release clause in the contract of Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, as the club seek to bolster their options up front.

That’s according to Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph, who reported manager Arsene Wenger is "determined" to add firepower to his squad. It’s stated the France international has already rejected the chance to join West Ham United twice, while interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid is also noted.

"It is believed that [Wenger], who is working as a television pundit during the [UEFA European Championship], used covering France’s recent match against the Republic of Ireland in Lyon as an opportunity to meet Lacazette’s representatives," added Burt, who confirmed the Gunners are yet to make an official bid for the player.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

The Lyon man is considered to be one of European football’s most exciting forwards and has scarred pitches across Ligue 1 with some scintillating displays. Here is a look at what he is capable of:

As reported by Burt, Arsenal failed in a bid for Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy earlier in the summer, with the England man opting to sign a new deal with the Premier League champions.

Stylistically, there are clear similarities between the two players, though. Like Vardy, Lacazette has searing pace and looks to play on the shoulder of defenders. The Frenchman is extremely sharp with his movement and can be devastating when latching on to through balls or when darting into the channels with the ball.

The area in which he’s made significant improvements is sticking the ball in the back of the net. As these numbers from WhoScored.com showcase, Lacazette is a brilliant poacher:

He’s a footballer who looks as though he could cut it in the Premier League, too. Lacazette has razor-sharp reactions, is powerful in his running style, and at a club like Arsenal, he’s the type of character who would be invigorated by the challenge.

Arsenal supporters would love to see him come in, too. Regardless of the price paid, he’d be a huge asset in the final third and a player capable of providing a direct edge that’s long been missing up front for the Gunners.

Alvaro Morata Arsenal's 'Preferred Choice'

According to James Olley of the London Evening Standard, Arsenal will only turn to Lacazette if they miss out on Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata, whose future should become clearer this week.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Olley added that while the Gunners and Chelsea are interested in signing the striker, Los Blancos would have to drop their £57 million valuation for either side to entertain the prospect of bringing him in. The Spain international is said to be Wenger’s "preferred choice" after missing out on Vardy.

Morata is a Real Madrid player again after the club exercised their right to buy him back from Juventus. Here is how he compared last term in league matches to Lacazette and Arsenal centre-forward Olivier Giroud:

	Morata	Lacazette	Giroud
Apps (Sub)	16 (18)	34	26 (12)
Goals	7	21	16
Assists	7	3	6
Shots per game	1.4	3.5	2.7
Key passes per game	0.8	1.2	0.9
Dribbles per game	0.9	1.3	0.3
Aerial duels won per game	0.6	0.9	2.7

There is plenty to like about the former Bianconeri man. Morata has made big developments in the last couple of seasons, refining rough edges in his game, improving his work rate and developing a reputation for netting crucial goals.

These numbers from OptaPaolo illustrate just how important the 23-year-old was during his time in Turin:

Nevertheless, spending £57 million on the striker would be a huge gamble. For that price, a club would be expecting a player who is the finished article. Morata isn’t quite that yet, and although he has all the attributes to become an elite forward, it’s not an inevitability.

Wenger has long been an admirer of the player, according to Olley, and would surely love a striker like him at the Emirates Stadium. But a forward like Lacazette is already further along in his development, is a more prolific goalscorer and wouldn’t be as expensive to prise away from his current club.