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Arsenal transfer news and rumours: Alexandre Lacazette 'in talks' as Gunners move for Julian Draxler and Djibril Sidibe

The latest transfer news and rumours surrounding the Emirates

Jack de Menezes

Saturday 09 July 2016 11:05 BST

Alexandre Lacazette is reported to be in talks with Arsenal (Getty)

Arsenal are continuing their search for a new striker after opening talks with Lyon over a move for Alexandre Lacazette, according to reports.

The Gunners missed out on Jamie Vardy last month after the England striker elected to sign a new four-year contract with Premier League champions Leicester City, leaving manager Arsene Wenger to consider other options.

One of those appears to be Lacazette, and with Wenger currently out in France as part of his television commitments at Euro 2016, the Arsenal manager has been able to hold preliminary talks with Ligue 1 side Lyon.

The Daily Mail report that Arsenal have already made enquiries over Lacazette’s availability, but a conflict has arisen over a potential release clause in his contract. Lyon insist that no such clause exits, but widespread reports suggest that the 25-year-old would be available for £34m.

As a result, Lyon will hold out for a bid of £42m for Lacazette, which Arsenal are currently unwilling to offer, and the stalemate could lead to Wenger investigating other avenues.

Arsenal striker transfer targets

Show all 10

1/10Arsenal striker transfer targets

Arsenal striker transfer targets

Alvaro Morata (Juventus)

Morata looks certain to leave Juventus, but his destination remains unknown. Real Madrid lead the pursuit for the Spain international given they can activate a €30m [£23.6m] release clause in his contract after 1 July, but Juventus will be keen to sell elsewhere given they can command a much bigger fee based on is valutation. Morata would represent a proven goalscorer that Arsenal have lacked in recent years, having fired Juventus to two Serie A title and last season’s Champions League final.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Edinson Cavani (PSG)

Cavani is ready to end his Paris Saint-Germain career and move on to pastures new, having grown unhappy at playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic – who himself is poised to leave the club this summer. Having played in both Serie A and Ligue 1, Cavani has admitted that he would like to play in the Premier League, and the Gunners have been linked with the Uruguay international in the past.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli)

Arsenal missed out on Higuain when he left Real Madrid in 2013, having had a bid accepted for the Argentine only to see Napoli storm in and snap up the striker. However, Higuain could be on his way out of Naples, with the club looking to freshen their squad up in a bid to go one better and build on this season’s likely second-place finish to challenge champions Juventus.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Benzema may be another who finds his time is up at his current club, with Real expected to make a major signing of their own in the summer to try and add to the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. While his two cohorts take the headlines in Madrid, Benzema remains one of the most prolific finishers in European football, and the Gunners showed genuine interest in the France international last summer only to decide against meeting Real’s valuation.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

Sturridge’s future has grown uncertain since Jurgen Klopp arrived at Liverpool. The striker has reiterated his commitment to the club and helped them reach the Europa League final, but he has also shown a dissatisfaction at times when Klopp has left him out of the side. Arsenal were reported to be interested in the striker, but strained tensions between the two clubs following the Gunners’ interest in Luis Suarez could scupper any potential deal.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Neymar (Barcelona)

A move for the Brazilian superstar would certainly be one of the biggest shocks of the summer, but his future in Barcelona is uncertain and the Catalans could be forced into selling him due to their increasing financial troubles. United have again shown interest in Neymar, but there is no reason to suggest that Arsenal can’t challenge them financially for Neymar’s signature and he would certainly fit into Arsene Wenger’s style of football.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Radamel Falcao (Monaco)

The Colombian has failed at both Manchester United and Chelsea, and is due to return to Monaco at the end of the season after a torturous two-year spell in England. But could he remain upon these shores and join Arsenal? With Monaco keen to sell and Falcao scoring a total of six goals in two years, the former Atletico Madrid forward would be available for a much lower fee than was touted 12 months ago, and you can guarantee that one big club playing in European competition will decide to take the risk on Falcao.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund)

The Gabon international is emerging as one of the most lethal finishers in Europe, having scored 25 goals in the Bundesliga this season and 30 in all competitions. Both Arsenal and Tottenham have been linked with Aubameyang, and the Gunners have sent scouts to watch the 26-year-old, with the club keeping an eye on him given Borussia Dortmund’s inability to hold on to their biggest players.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan)

The Inter Milan forward has emerged as a possible alternative to Morata, and at 23 years old Icardi would certainly offer Arsenal an option for a number of years. Icardi has scored 16 goals in Serie A this season, firing Inter back into European contention, but his form has caught the eye of the likes of Chelsea and United. However, the Inter captain has stressed that he will remain with the Italian club for next season, yet Arsenal could yet persuade him to move to the Emirates with the carrot of Champions League football.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

Lukaku is expected to leave under-performing Everton in the summer after admitting he wants to play in the Champions League next season. United have always been the front-runners for Lukaku, although a return to former club Chelsea has also been reported, while PSG are keeping an eye on the strong Belgian. However, Lukaku would certainly boost the Arsenal squad, and at 22 years old he could be the striker that Arsenal can build their squad around in the future.

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One such route could be a return bid for Wolfsburg midfielder Julian Draxler. ESPN reported on Friday that Arsenal have made a £43m offer for Draxler, who featured in Germany’s run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, with Wenger getting a first-hand look at the 22-year-old as he watched France knocked the World Cup holders out of the competition this week.

Draxler joined Wolfsburg last summer when he left Schalke after opting to join the Bundesliga side over Arsenal, but Wenger has maintained interest in the attacking midfielder – who has fulfilled a ‘false 9’ role at the European Championship for Germany this summer.

Summer 2016 Transfer Window - Done deals and rumours

Arsenal are also looking beat Monaco to the signing of Lille defender Djibril Sidibe, with French newspaper L’Equipe reporting that talks have begun over a move to the Emirates. The 23-year-old has spent the last four years with Lille and just fell short of Didier Deschamps’ France squad for Euro 2016, and his versatility at playing on both flanks of the defence is said to have impressed Wenger.

It’s expected that Arsenal will move for a defensive reinforcement given that Kieran Gibbs is poised to leave the club this summer, and Arsenal could be forced into making a move after it emerged that Monaco have already had a bid accepted by Lille for the Frenchman.

Finally, hopes of signing soon-to-be Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata have been boosted after it was reported that the Spain striker is beginning to go off a move to Chelsea. The Mirror claim that Chelsea’s lack of Champions League football this season has put Morata off a move to Stamford Bridge, with both Arsenal and Manchester United interested in the 23-year-old as well as Paris Saint-Germain.

 Morata is on his way back to Real Madrid but could be sold on  (Getty)

Morata is ready to return to Real after the Champions League winners activated a buy-back clause in his contract worth £23.6m, but they are expected to sell on the forward this summer in order to generate a significant profit on his departure.

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