Scouting PSG Transfer Target Alexandre Lacazette

We have not even reached the first week of the Ligue 1 season and French football is at a crossroads. Everyone—perhaps apart from fans of Paris Saint-Germain—wants a title race, or even just a challenge, but they could be blown out the water before a ball is even kicked.

After selling Samuel Umtiti to FC Barcelona for €25 million and the potential departure of Corentin Tolisso to Napoli, per L'Equipe (h/t Get French Football News), Olympique Lyonnais have been hit by the news that star striker Alexandre Lacazette would favour a move this summer.

L’Equipe (h/t Sport Witness) reports that the French striker has told the club of his desire to leave during the current transfer window, with Arsenal and PSG linked by the French daily newspaper.

Over the last two campaigns, Lacazette has been one of Europe’s most coveted strikers. Lyon have managed to hold on to him for now, but his time at the club could be up and president Jean-Michel Aulas may be forced into a difficult decision.

He could hold out for a bid from an English club, even taking less than what he would ideally want, or he could—if they made a genuine offer—sell him to their biggest league rivals and the most dominant team in France.

As Ligue1.com journalist, Matt Spiro tweeted on Friday, this would all but rule out any sort of title race in the coming season.

PSG’s interest has been known for some time, even back in May the striker’s brother was talking about the interest from the capital club.

"Paris' interest was apparent last year. After the departure of Zlatan, they'll look to reinforce that area," he said, per Le Parisien (h/t FourFourTwo). "It's not impossible that Alexandre will go there, but it's not a certainty. We're not closing any door. For the moment, we're looking."

When speaking exclusively to Jason Burt of the Telegraph in January, Lacazette talked about how the transfer stories in the past had affected him and why he thinks he is ready for a move:

"

Now I am used to dealing with all the rumours. But when they started, maybe two years ago, I was destabilised a little by it. But now I am used to it. For me, it’s not so hard because I was not ready [to leave] two years ago or even last season.

I was not ready then and my goal is not to go to England for the sake of going to England and I don’t want to go to a club and sit on the bench. So at that time it was not hard for me to stay here. It was a question of waiting until I was ready and I am now ready this summer.

"

What is now interesting in terms of a potential move to PSG, is the appointment of Unai Emery at the Parc des Princes. Any move for Lacazette during Laurent Blanc’s reign would have been difficult, just in terms of the way he played and the players already at the club.

Emery’s arrival and Ibrahimovic’s departure open up a space in the attack, one that Lacazette could easily fill.

Lacazette has evolved from starting as a wide forward in Lyon’s classic 4-3-3 to the leading man in Bruno Genesio’s 4-4-2 diamond. He excelled beside Nabil Fekir, something that could be replicated with PSG summer signing Hatem Ben Arfa and Edinson Cavani.

However, if Emery wanted to stick to his 4-2-3-1, Lacazette showed his ability to play as the No. 9 striker in a 4-3-3 in the second half of the season.

If you put vibrant, mobile wingers around him: at Lyon, it was Maxwel Cornet and Rachid Ghezzal, but at PSG there are Angel Di Maria, Lucas Moura, Javier Pastore and Ben Arfa, he has learned how to adapt his game and link up in that system too.

He’s not your typical No. 9, but he can play through the middle and then drift wide and attack from the channels.

At Sevilla, Emery used Kevin Gameiro as the centre-forward. Lacazette offers more in the way of versatility in the attack, but he could play in a similar style to the former PSG striker.

One sticking point would be Lacazette’s desire to start and PSG’s reluctance to remove Cavani from the line-up. The Lyon man would be keen on linking up with the Uruguayan, but it seems the capital club would prefer the 25-year-old striker as a back-up.

PSG will have competition for his signature if he decides to leave. Arsenal have been linked, but Aulas recently distanced his player from an immediate move.

Aulas told L'Equipe (h/t Sky Sports):

"

I saw Arsene [Wenger] during France matches, and he has not told me.

I don't think it's something and it seems Alex wants to spend this season with Lyon in the new stadium.

He wants to know an adventure in the Champions League could be much better than last season. I think he will stay with us and we are very happy.

"

Although Lacazette has apparently revealed he would prefer a move, another season at Lyon and playing in the Champions League, would not do him any harm. However, there is a huge risk in staying too long at the club and risking his stock plummeting further.

He wants to surround himself with top professionals, play at the highest level and give himself more of a chance of winning a place in Didier Deschamps' 2018 World Cup squad. That may not happen if he continues at his boyhood club.

"If on August 28 we receive [a bid of] €80 million he will not leave," Aulas told L'Equipe earlier in the summer (h/t FourFourTwo). "On the other hand, if they come to me in the days to come with an offer I cannot refuse then it is possible.

"If Paris, in order to win the Champions League, need to have Alexandre and they have the means to buy him, I wouldn't say no," added Aulas, per L’Equipe (h/t Mark Rodden of ESPN FC). "At the moment I don't have that impression, but if he wants it and they have the means, I say: Why not?"

Lacazette has everything that PSG could want in a striker; versatility, speed and the strength to play on his own. He also has the intelligence to create a partnership with one of his new team-mates.

Over the last two seasons, he has demonstrated that he can score every type of goal imaginable. He has come back from injuries, new managers, changes of system and a public disagreement with Aulas.

Now, he is getting over the disappointment of failing to make the France squad at this summer’s Euros. A move to PSG could be exactly what he needs, and Emery would get the explosive forward he will require if he wants to put his own stamp on the French champions.