It's a done deal clearly. He would have denied it outright if it wasn't.
Alexandre Lacazette
Could be keeping other interested parties on their toes by saying those things?
I hope this one goes through. As I said few weeks ago, having kept a close eye on him this season, he's way better than I thought he was when we were linked with him last season. Quality striker.
Recent talk is that he's being considered as a potential like for like replacement for Sanchez at this point, although he'd likely slot in as CF if Mbappe fails to happen.
If he's being brought as a replacement for Sanchez then maybe we are going to use a 2 striker formation. Wouldn't be too bad so long as Ozil stays and we bring in another top striker. If on the other hand it's Giroud/Welbeck/Walcott that'll fill in then it'll be a disaster.
Art wrote:If he's being brought as a replacement for Sanchez then maybe we are going to use a 2 striker formation. Wouldn't be too bad so long as Ozil stays and we bring in another top striker. If on the other hand it's Giroud/Welbeck/Walcott that'll fill in then it'll be a disaster.
I think the inference was that Lacazette is being pursued irrespective of the Mbappe negotiations, which means that signing Lacazette may not mean that we are no longer after Mbappe.
In which case Lacazette could replace Sanchez in either the 3421 or 4231 with Mbappe as CF in either.
If we retain Giroud then perhaps we may see a 3412, and a front 2 of Giroud & Lacazette with Welbeck & Walcott as cover,
and Lemar & Mahrez/Martial on the flanks.
I find it hard to believe the club see Lacazette as a like for like replacement for Sanchez.
Qwiss! wrote:I find it hard to believe the club see Lacazette as a like for like replacement for Sanchez.
I think it's more about his versatility as both are equally at home across the forward line & both are able to score and provide assists. The major difference is that Sanchez is best playing on the ball in the space created by the CF whilst Lacazette is best playing into space ahead of the ball. As such the ideal would be for Lacazette at CF if we retain Sanchez, and perhaps Mbappe is more the replacement if Sanchez departs?
There is no replacement.
Coombs wrote:There is no replacement.
Just as there has been no replacement for PV or TH as yet.
However IMO Mbappe in if Sanchez departs lessens the blow.
I'd take Mbappe or Martial as Sanchez replacement in addition to Laca tbh. Would even consider it a good summer, specially if we bring in a quality midfielder.
Art wrote:I'd take Mbappe or Martial as Sanchez replacement in addition to Laca tbh. Would even consider it a good summer, specially if we bring in a quality midfielder.
Raises the question of quality v role & capability.
Most would argue that we've not replaced the likes of TH & PV if based upon capability/role,
but at the same time there is the other side of the argument that we have replaced them in terms of players of similar levels of quality in the likes of Fabregas, RVP, Ozil & Sanchez.
However the missing ingredient is not in regards to the individual quality / capability / roles, but in terms of the team balance.
I'd gladly sacrifice the lack of elite quality players like Ozil, Sanchez etc IF the offset was that the team & match day squad had even quality AND balance, and were also horses for courses in terms of the shape & tactic. As such whilst I agree with AW's comment that the players determine the strategy rather than the shape, I fundamentally disagree that the shape & tactic is irrelevant as opposed to player quality. Player capability should determine the shape & tactic and their quality then determines the performance & outcomes. You can not win the season with a team of TH or Fabregas any more than you can a team of Ozil or Sanchez.
no doubt his 'great' goal scoring stats will be thrown around alot, but in the 3 seasons before he joined swansea, gomis scored 20 or more goals in ligue 1, and that guy is generally viewed as bin juice.
my french colleague views him as wiltord but with bucketloads more will, workrate and consistency. i reckon we're getting a guy that will do what it says on the tin and nothing more
i think the biggest benefit will be having pace and finishing through the middle, with the brains and heart to back it up (looking at you theo and danny)
Qwiss! wrote:I find it hard to believe the club see Lacazette as a like for like replacement for Sanchez.
It's more likely replacement for Giroud.
Giroud clearly won't stand being 3rd choice behind Lacazette and Welbeck, sadly. If he goes we will miss a plan B all of a sudden.
Gazza M wrote:no doubt his 'great' goal scoring stats will be thrown around alot, but in the 3 seasons before he joined swansea, gomis scored 20 or more goals in ligue 1, and that guy is generally viewed as bin juice.
14, 16, 14 are the Ligue 1 goal tallies for Gomis before joining Swansea. Last 3 seasons for Laca are 27,21,28.
Big difference.
And one wouldn't need stats to know Lacazette is currently miles better than Gomis was
Gazza M wrote:no doubt his 'great' goal scoring stats will be thrown around alot, but in the 3 seasons before he joined swansea, gomis scored 20 or more goals in ligue 1, and that guy is generally viewed as bin juice.
Pretty sure this past season at Marseille was Gomis' first one where he broke 20 league goals. Lacazette is easily two levels above him
Top French marksman
The striker scored 28 Ligue 1 goals in 2016; the best total for a French forward in a single calendar year since Jean-Pierre Papin notched the same number in 1991.
Clinical finisher
Lacazette held the highest chance conversion rate in Europe's top five leagues last season (38.9 per cent), beating RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner (34.4 per cent) and Monaco forward Radamel Falcao (33.9 per cent).
European champion
He scored the winning goal in the 2010 European U19 Championship, heading home against Spain to seal a 2-1 victory for France. Current Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin was also in that French team.
Emirates experience
Less than 24 hours after the victory over Spain, Lacazette played in the Emirates Cup for Lyon, arriving 10 minutes before the warm-up and starting the match against Celtic.
Puel's prodigy
The France international came through the youth ranks at Lyon and was handed his debut by former Southampton manager Claude Puel.
Lacazette came through the youth ranks at Lyon and made his debut under Claude Puel
Lacazette came through the youth ranks at Lyon and made his debut under Claude Puel
Footballing familyHis cousin Romuald Lacazette plays for 1860 Munich in Germany and his older brother played in the Swiss second division before moving into coaching.
Penalty box predator
Of his 28 Ligue 1 goals last season, just two came from outside the penalty area.
International goalscorer
Lacazette scored his only France goal to date in a 2-0 win over Denmark at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, home of Lyon's fierce rivals St Etienne.
His only international goal so far came against Denmark in 2015
His only international goal so far came against Denmark in 2015
Arsenal comparisonLacazette scored 28 league goals last season, more than Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck and Lucas Perez combined.
In good company
Since the 2012/13 season, only nine forwards have scored more goals in Europe's top five leagues. They are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robert Lewandowski, Edinson Cavani, Gonzalo Higuain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sergio Aguero.
Qwiss! wrote:Gazza M wrote:no doubt his 'great' goal scoring stats will be thrown around alot, but in the 3 seasons before he joined swansea, gomis scored 20 or more goals in ligue 1, and that guy is generally viewed as bin juice.
14, 16, 14 are the Ligue 1 goal tallies for Gomis before joining Swansea. Last 3 seasons for Laca are 27,21,28.
Big difference.
i stand corrected, i was looking at goals in all comps. the point i was (poorly) trying to make is that is that his prolific numbers in france might not translate to england. when you're a guy thats all about goals and little else that's a problem
Gazza M wrote:my french colleague views him as wiltord but with bucketloads more will, workrate and consistency. i reckon we're getting a guy that will do what it says on the tin and nothing more
That's quite an endorsement in my book.
Gazza M wrote:Qwiss! wrote:14, 16, 14 are the Ligue 1 goal tallies for Gomis before joining Swansea. Last 3 seasons for Laca are 27,21,28.
Big difference.
i stand corrected, i was looking at goals in all comps. the point i was (poorly) trying to make is that is that his prolific numbers in france might not translate to england. when you're a guy thats all about goals and little else that's a problem
Thats true but its a gamble I think we need to take. There are nice fantasy wishlists about Aubameyang, Mbappe, etc but we are talking about the same Arsenal manager and CEO that have signed strikers like Welbeck, Lucas and Sanogo since van Persie left. Lacazette is a big step up from that.
I'm not expecting Lacazette to be anything more than a goal scorer. His runs and finishing are top drawer. He's quick and he's lethal. If we could keep Ozil and Sanchez I think it'd be a really strong front 3. If they go who replaces them will make or break how successful Lacazette can be.