Arsenal Transfer News: Alexandre Lacazette Price Set Amid Latest PSG Rumours

Lyon would reportedly be willing to accept an offer of €52 million (£44 million) for Arsenal target Alexandre Lacazette this summer, although it’s been suggested the French club are not expecting the player to leave.

As reported by BBC Sport, Lyon recently revealed they’d rejected a €35 million (£29.3 million) bid from Arsenal for their star striker. According to L’Equipe (h/t Dipesh Argawal of Sport Witness), the Gunners are willing to bid in excess of €40 million (£33.9 million), but the Ligue 1 side will only consider selling for the amount initially mentioned.

Agarwal also relayed quotes from Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, in which he seems confident the player will not be moving on. "Arsenal did not return and will not return," he said. "Nobody will leave OL except Rachid Ghezzal, if he has a proposal."

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In another potential stumbling block for Arsenal, it’s suggested that Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Lacazette. The French champions are, however, said to be put off by the valuation placed on the player by Lyon.

As noted by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Johnson, it's been reported the 25-year-old is a primary target for the capital club:

If PSG were to lure the Frenchman to the Parc des Princes, they’d be getting a footballer who has excelled in Ligue 1 for the last two seasons.

Here is a reminder of why some of Europe’s biggest clubs are said to be in the hunt for the striker:

Both PSG and Arsenal are in need of a new forward for different reasons. The former may have Edinson Cavani in their squad already, although new manager Unai Emery will be tasked with replacing the mercurial influence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the point of the attack.

These numbers from WhoScored.com suggest that Lacazette could well be the perfect replacement for the big Swede:

While PSG have at least had a world-class striker to call upon in recent years, there’s been no such thing at the Emirates Stadium.

Olivier Giroud has led the line with endeavour, energy and physicality since he joined the Gunners from Montpellier. But he lacks the explosiveness that bristles in the best strikers in the world, whether that be a burst of pace, a piece of wonderful skill or the ability to conjure something from nothing.

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Lacazette has shown signs in Ligue 1 that he’s a man capable of bringing those qualities to the Premier League. These numbers from Squawka Football don’t reflect kindly on Arsenal’s current attacking options by comparison, either:

It’s traits and stats such as these that have left a lot of Arsenal supporters frustrated with the club’s unwillingness to spend big on a new centre-forward. A regular stream of goals would be such a significant boost to their chances of winning a Premier League title; the asking price Lyon are demanding is not too excessive for such a prolific goalscorer, either.

Lacazette looks ready for a move as well. The forward has excelled at Lyon and has been central to the UEFA Champions League qualification for the last two seasons. But in a division that’s been dominated and will continue to be dominated by PSG, that’s as good as things will get for the striker.