Well football, and indeed footballers, aren't in stasis.

Clrnc wrote:
Rohit wrote:

Underwhelming, but I guess this is our level for now. If we had to settle for him, should have probably signed him in previous windows then.

Yeah, that's the thing I don't get. He was cheaper previous 3 windows and we thought he was too expensive. Even last summer Aulas wanted 40m and we couldn't pay it. He could have fired us to the title in the year Leicester won the title and certainly got us top 4 easily last season.

Wenger is really desperate nowadays.

Yeah this is the typically Arsenal part of the whole thing. If we had pushed a bit harder last summer he was certainly available but instead Wenger wasted £17m on a player he clearly didn't rate. Now instead of getting Lacazette last summer for £40m ish we'll end up having spent £77m on Laca and Lucas. Its just such a poor way to do business.

Bold Tone wrote:
Gazza M wrote:

Tbf a comp of kane or lukaku would be similarly bland. ...

Yup but they would be a few goals created by mouth agape and physicality respectively.
The main positive i see from Laca is finally having no more use for Theo as no way can we afford 2 passengers out of 3 in the front line.

His chances created and key pass stats are better than both for last season, he comes up short in assists though but that may have more to do with his team mates.

Qwiss! wrote:
Clrnc wrote:

Yeah, that's the thing I don't get. He was cheaper previous 3 windows and we thought he was too expensive. Even last summer Aulas wanted 40m and we couldn't pay it. He could have fired us to the title in the year Leicester won the title and certainly got us top 4 easily last season.

Wenger is really desperate nowadays.

Yeah this is the typically Arsenal part of the whole thing. If we had pushed a bit harder last summer he was certainly available but instead Wenger wasted £17m on a player he clearly didn't rate. Now instead of getting Lacazette last summer for £40m ish we'll end up having spent £77m on Laca and Lucas. Its just such a poor way to do business.

Penny-wise besuited clowns

We could probably get Belotti for the same price being paid for Lacazette.

Ray wrote:

We could probably get Belotti for the same price being paid for Lacazette.

Not according to the reports that United have bid over £60m and been rejected.

Hmmmm.

Can we keep Alexis and get Lacazette?
That'd be decent.

Think some fans are probably put off by the fact that he's been playing in the French for so long but the likes of Van Nistelrooy left the Dutch league at around the same age, and I wouldn't be shocked if Lacazette end up having the same impact for us as horseface did for Man United.

Maybe I'm overatting him a bit but I was shocked at how good he is when I started keeping a close eye at him. The likes of Aubameyang, Lukaku etc may have a higher profile than him but I have far more faith in Laca coming here and becoming a hit simply because he's a better footballer IMO, less reliant on pace, more adept in confined spaces.

Right now I'd say Laca is around the level Sturridge was at his peak, say that season when Liverpool nearly won the league but fucked it up in the end. I don't think bar Suarez and Aguero, there was a better striker than Sturridge in the league at that moment and he was very important for Liverpool that season (check out the number of 1st time goals he scored).

Mbappe remains the dream signing but Lacazette excites me. Now just force Alexis to stay, and a front 3 of Alexis-Laca-Ozil could do a lot of damage in this league.

Clrnc wrote:
Rohit wrote:

Underwhelming, but I guess this is our level for now. If we had to settle for him, should have probably signed him in previous windows then.

Yeah, that's the thing I don't get. He was cheaper previous 3 windows and we thought he was too expensive. Even last summer Aulas wanted 40m and we couldn't pay it. He could have fired us to the title in the year Leicester won the title and certainly got us top 4 easily last season.

Wenger is really desperate nowadays.

Desperate, or wasn't convinced until now. By most accounts he stepped up his level this past season

Kind of a left field question but whats the difference (in footballing terms) between lacazette and a 25 year old higuain? Alot of the criticism of higgy back in the day overlaps with the laca criticism - can't create his own shot, not very skilled, no outstanding physical traits etc. Higuain improved markedly in his late 20s

higuain had 27 league goals at 23 in 1 seaon.

Higuain was much more refined technically, but fortunately Laca's shooting technique seems spot on which is where it counts.

I feel a little better about this but he MUST maintain his scoring rate. Having two 20+ league goals a season players in the form of Laca and Alexis will be a big boost.

I think that's it really: there's a big difference in how I view this signing, if we keep Sanchez.

Still amusing that Wenger always complains that fans think big money means quality signings and yet despite the fact we're about to break our transfer record, a lot of people aren't happy.

As long as we keep Alexis or sign James, this is a fine signing. Don't think he would have been much cheaper last year either, and also, who cares, we have the money.

I really think he's a player who knows what he wants to do with the ball before he receives it. Not an upgraded Theo because Theo is an idiot. I hope he comes with confidence high and shows his intelligence right off the bat.

I get the feeling it is Lacazette or nobody and in that case I'd rather have him then get stuck with nothing again. He's come off three seasons scoring 20+ league goals in France so he can't be that bad. He'll get more scoring chances here as well so I think he might do alright

Then again I think I've become so used to Giroud even a marginal improvement will do for me. I just can't stand the thought of him being our first choice CF, as backup he is excellent though so wouldn't sell him either.

Coombs wrote:

As long as we keep Alexis or sign James, this is a fine signing. Don't think he would have been much cheaper last year either, and also, who cares, we have the money.

Club doesn't have the bottle any more mate, think we will sell City.

Thing is on one hand the club will know we are at serious risk of losing Alexis, Ozil, Ox & Wilshere for free next summer, that is £130m+ of talent that could just walk away. Maybe if it had just been Alexis who was going into his final year we'd be more prepared to take the risk? For all our tightness in the transfer market and cost cutting we then put ourselves into this position. Couldn't make it up...

French for cassette tape had 37 goals in 45 games last season. I imagine that's as many as Giroud and that waster Walcott combined. I can't wait for this deal to be done.mll

I'm looking at this guy and thinking, he's not Tier 1, but he's still an improvement on the odd selection of Messrs Walcott, Giroud, Welbeck and Perez. I wouldn't piss on any of that lot in all honesty.

We really should just dump all of those 4 and buy another forward in addition to Lacazette.

We need him to score goals, if he can keep that scoring rate up with his finishing ability and movement then we will definitely benefit from having him start over the rest.

I don't think Harry Kane is a top striker either, but he scores and that is all that matters.

Need to add top quality to the forward line if Sanchez leaves though.