There remains considerable uncertainty around Alexandre Lacazette’s future, but this could yet be one of those rare contract standoffs that actually works in everybody’s favour.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta dangled an unexpected carrot on the eve of Friday’s game, hinting that the 30-year-old could yet be offered an extension to his existing agreement which expires at the end of the season.
ESPN reported on Sept. 17 that there was no offer on the table from the club, and that is still the case today, but on this evidence, Lacazette is not about to join the long list of players to spend the impasse sitting on his hands.
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He set the tone for Friday’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa four days earlier. The Frenchman reinvigorated an ailing team performance against Palace on Monday with a vibrant 23-minute cameo that climaxed with a stoppage-time equaliser to salvage a draw.
Lacazette was rewarded with a place in the starting XI here — his first Premier League start of the season, having featured for just 72 minutes before tonight — with Arteta’s prematch news conference words ringing in his ears, chiefly that “anything is possible” regarding the prospect of a new contract.
Whether Lacazette is motivated by proving himself worthy of extending his stay in north London or showcasing his talents to potential suitors in the January transfer window is unclear. But if Arteta can harness the determination he showed here, Lacazette can prove himself a real asset in the coming weeks and months regardless of what the future holds.
“He was terrific,” said Arteta of Lacazette. “The way he finished the last game, I already made the decision [to start him]. He worked really hard, he hasn’t played many minutes.”
Arteta altered his system to accommodate Lacazette, moving away from the 4-3-3…
Source : espn
