Arsenal told 26-year-old striker will be sold when club find replacement
Arsenal have been handed a boost after Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas confirmed Alexandre Lacazette still wants to leave the French club
Arsenal will have to wait for Lyon to sign a striker to replace Alexandre Lacazette before completing a deal to bring the France star to The Emirates, according to reports in the English media.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed the 26-year-old is still eager to leave the Ligue 1 side in the summer transfer window amid interest from FA Cup winners Arsenal.
Arsenal are thought to be prepared to pay in the region of £50m to secure Lacazette’s services as Arsene Wenger looks to improve his attacking options ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.
And the Gunners received a boost after Lyon chief Aulas revealed that the French club would be willing to sell the prolific goal-scorer as long as replacement had been secured.
“Our position is that as long as we have not signed his replacement, we will keep him,” Aulas is quoted as saying by the Independent.
“He expressed the wish to leave and he was given an agreement to go to the club of his heart, but things did not happen.
“He wants to leave. We will discuss it in the coming weeks. If so, offers will be heard, provided they match the value of the player.
“We have not received any concrete offers for Lacazette up to now but that could happen at any moment.”
Lacazette has scored 100 goals in 203 appearances in Ligue 1 to establish himself as one of the most prolific strikers in European football.
Only Alexis Sanchez scored more than 20 goals in the Premier League last term after the Chile international netted 24 times in 38 appearances.
The Gunners finished in fifth place in the Premier League last term but managed to win the FA Cup to finish the season on a high note.
