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Arsenal have switched targets to Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette after missing out on Jamie Vardy, with the Leicester striker snubbing a summer move to sign a four-year contract extension with Leicester City.
Reports suggest that Arsenal have entered the race for Lacazette after manager Arsene Wenger organised to meet with the France international’s agent, David Venditelli, later this week. The Arsenal boss is currently in France to work with Bein Sport as part of their Euro 2016 coverage, but he remains active in the transfer market after failing to sign England forward Vardy despite activating his previous release clause with a £20m offer.
Lacazette missed out on inclusion in Didier Deschamps’s France squad for Euro 2016 on home soil, despite scoring 23 goals in 43 appearances for Lyon last season, with Deschamps instead choosing to include Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud, Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman, Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and Andre-Pierre Giognac of Mexican side Tigres.
According to The Mirror
Lyon are unwilling to sell Lacazette for anything less than £45m, and with the 25-year-old having three years remaining on his current contract, the Ligue 1 side will not be forced to sell unless they are happy with the deal offered. Lyon are already poised for a large financial boost after they reportedly agreed to sell defender Samuel Umtiti to Barcelona in a £21.5m deal that could be announced in the coming weeks.
Show all 18 1 /18Every Arsenal striker signed since Thierry Henry Every Arsenal striker signed since Thierry Henry 2000/01: Francis Jeffers - Everton - £8m 'Fox in the box' Jeffers was the most exciting young England striker going thanks to an impressive goal return after breaking through at Everton. However his time at Arsenal was dreadful due to a combination of injuries and competition for places and in 2003 he returned to Everton on loan having scored just four league goals.
Every Arsenal striker signed since Thierry Henry 2000/01: Sylvain Wiltord - Bordeux - £13m Best remembered for scoring the winning goal at Old Trafford that secured Arsenal the 2001/02 Premier League title against Manchester United. The Euro 2000 winner scored at a decent rate for the Gunners but perhaps not as regularly as his price tag meant he should have.
2002 Getty Images
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2012 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
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2004 AFP
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2006 AFP
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2006 AFP
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2007 AFP
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2010 AFP
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2009 Getty Images
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2010 Getty Images
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2013 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
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2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
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2011 Getty Images
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2014 Getty Images
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2016 Getty Images
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2014 Getty Images
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2016 Getty Images
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2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Venditelli has not ruled out the chance of Lacazette remaining at Lyon for another season, having spoken earlier in the season to stress that his future will not be resolved until August when talks are held with the Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.
"For the moment we're thinking that Alex will still be a Lyon player next season," Venditelli told French newspaper L'Equipe back in March.
"In any case, we'll discuss it in good time with Jean-Michel Aulas.
Summer 2016 Transfer Window - Done deals and rumours "We both have enough experience to know what we should do in the interest of Alex and the club."
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