Why Arsene Wenger Needs To Sign Alexandre Lacazette At All Costs
Alexandre Lacazette’s speculated transfer to Spanish club Atletico Madrid is on the verge of collapsing after the Court of Arbitration for Sports upheld the transfer ban on Atletico. The Spanish side are facing a ban from registering new players for two transfer windows for breaching FIFA rules in signing minors. Similar bans were handed out to Barcelona and Real Madrid in the past. Atletico decided to appeal against it, but now that the ban will stay, it will have huge repercussions on their transfer plans.
The £50million rated Lacazette was one of the most sought after players, especially in the Premier League, with almost all the top clubs targeting a move for him. Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United were all believed to be monitoring the 26-year old Olympique Lyon forward, but recent reports revealed that Lacazette was heading to the Colchoneros. However, the upholding of the ban is set to throw a spanner in their works.
This development means that clubs can go after Lacazette once again. Though the Frenchman wants Champions League football, it shouldn’t stop Arsenal from pursuing Lacazette.
The Gunners missed out on qualification for the Champions League for the first time in twenty years as they finished 5th in the Premier League. It was a largely disappointing campaign but there was some joy in the end with Arsenal getting their hands on another FA Cup trophy – their third in four years.
There was a lot of speculation over manager Arsene Wenger’s future coming into the end of the season. The Frenchman’s contract was about to expire and many sections of fans were calling for a change at the helm. However, Wenger signed a new contract with the club earlier this week, extending his stay at the Emirates for two more years. The manager also outlined his intentions of adding top quality players to the squad in the summer, despite the lack of Champions League football and he should start doing so by signing Lacazette.
Wenger, in his long and illustrious career, has been criticised heavily for not bringing in star names during the transfer window, despite having the financial power to be able to spend on the best players. That has changed a little in recent years, with the manager going out and getting the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, who have been a huge success at the club. He needs to do something similar by bringing in Lacazette too.
The 26-year old is one of the most accomplished strikers in Europe currently and has been performing at the top level for close to 4 years now. He finished the previous campaign with a whopping 37 goals from 45 games and also registered 5 assists along with it. Someone with pace and power, with excellent finishing abilities, Lacazette is a quality player that can turn a side into winners.
The need for a star striker at the Emirates has been evident since the departure of Robin van Persie back in 2012. While Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck are good forwards, they are not the ones that are going to win the team the Premier League title on the back of their goal-scoring exploits. Wenger and Arsenal need someone at the top who can instill fear in the opponents – like Sergio Aguero for Manchester City or Harry Kane for Tottenham Hotspur; a striker from the top bracket. And Lacazette fits the bill perfectly for Arsenal.
This is very likely the last contract extension that Wenger will be getting at the Emirates. And this time, he needs to deliver in a big way for the club that has shown tremendous faith in him for two decades now. There is no doubt that he has been one of the best managers in football all these years, but now is the time he repays the faith. signing Lacazette will definitely help him do so and in many ways will help him redefine his legacy.