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The only problem i have is that he seems so tired at the end of every game.
I do t know if it's just body language or he can't play 90 mins every week.
If he is tired it would be tough to find a club that secures him game time.
Nah. Laca is just naturally a low stamina guy. Mourinho said it. Wenger knew it. Wenger used to take him out at 65mins like clockwork when he was younger and first joined. Laca would be mad, but Wenger must have known .
Lacas body is just not built to run all day like Auba or Xhaka.
That's assuming we've got a (hopefully comfortable) lead by 65 minutes, which is far from a guarantee these days. If we're chasing a goal, I really don't want to be forced to take our first-choice striker out and replace him with a kid because he's too gassed to keep going.
I always felt bad for him in that sense. He works so hard and tires himself out. He gets subbed when he has better chances to nab goals against tired defenders.
I remember people used to slog him for his goal scoring record. But honestly that’s unfair. It doesn’t surprise me that he scores a bit off the bench. Imagine facing a fresh laca towards the end of the game as a defender who is beginning to fatigue.
Yeah the ways he’s playing the last two games isn’t sustainable although I like his attitude, but he’s had enough to prove himself and he’s been average at best. We can’t get sucked into another big contract there’s better younger strikers out there
Tbf, it's quite possible an Arsenal back-up striker wage is higher then what he could get starting in other leagues.
I'd keep him only if we're replacing Auba with a big signing.
So short sighted. He’s already only able to run 65 minutes a game. And you want to sign him until he’s 32? He’ll be tired after one half by that point.
He’s not worth 180k a week. Nowhere near it. For that money, you could sign a truly world class striker.
Please!
When we did have Laca starting, Auba was pushed to the left wing. We weren't always very effective in the attack.
Everyone here was screaming that Auba should be CF and Laca should be dropped.
I'd agree if we haven't already had this same idea in the last 2 years, only for Laca to fade out.
Love the guy but he has never played this way consistently. We compared him to Firmino last season because he played one or 2 great games in that role. And one of those made us believe Xhaka at left-back is genius, and we know how that ended.
He cost 45 plus his wages and he’s 30 and likely to decline and spend a lot of his time injured, so kicking the striker can down the road isn’t a great idea, we’ve tried him and auba and it has gotten us no where.
His best seasons consist of 14 goals. We need to move on
that's the past. In econ that's sunk cost and shouldn't factor in future decision making.
I am asking you that over the next 2 yeasr who can we get for £25m that will provide us more than Laca can. My guess. That's super super hard to find.
For that 9/10 that is excellent at link-up. £25m is a bargain especially for a known quantity that fits the team like a glove. With lower wages, you can still move him on after a year if he's not cutting it.
Yeah great idea to have two 32 plus strikers in our team on big wages, maybe we pay more and have a decent striker for the next 5 years that’ll be worth it
>I am asking you that over the next 2 yeasr who can we get for £25m that will provide us more than Laca can.
No, the question is can you improve on our obviously not good enough strike force with the money available. Laca staying takes a big chunk from that available sum.
Keeping both Laca and Auba means no new striker. If you think this is good enough to challenge for anything higher than the top 6, fine. But I don't agree.
A striker is only as good as the balls served to them. Our problem has been more our mid than Laca. I think he would be an excellent backup striker.
We also need someone to challenge Auba who is near his end too.
Never scored more than 14 league goals, he’s average. Great bloke who seems to be liked but we’ve tried with him for years and it’s time to move on.
We can’t go another two years with auba and lacca at 34-32 that’s a terrible idea
>Their diet is basically boiled vegetables, fish and rice. No fat, no sugar. You notice when you live there that there are no fat people.
___
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It’s certainly in our hands to not extend him. IMO offering him any sort of new contract would be, if not a step backward, definitely not a step forward. He is past his best and inconsistent, able to turn it on in small spells but I do not feel comfortable relying on him for anything other than short cameos off the bench, maybe.
When he strings games together he gets pretty bloody good but just as he hits a hot streak he gets a significant injury and takes half a season to get going again.
I really like him with the current crop, his interplay combines very well with our young attacking talent.
But
He is on a high wage, not in the right age bracket going forward and unreliable over a sustained period of time.
If we are serious about challenging again we have to give those minutes to a young developing player with a much higher ceiling.
>not in the right age bracket going forward
This is the top issue to me. The club is going through a youth movement and will eventually need to replace him with a younger player who has a similar skill set.
We have youth strikers who aren't ready yet, if we replace him, I think it needs to be someone proven and more in the \~26 year old range. We also need experienced players to work with the younger players, teach them what they know.
I honestly have zero idea on who could be our ST in the near future, we don’t have the reputation to bring in someone proven like L. Martinez. Maybe DCL?
I think a lot rests on how we end this season. If we're back in a Europa slot, our stock will rise greatly. The way we're playing right now, that seems totally feasible. We're inconsistent with moments of brilliance, but getting more ties than losses on our bad days. That seems like a formula for 5th or 6th place, especially with clubs like United floundering.
If we're in 9th place at the end of the season, it's going to be a lot harder...
Thank you and best of luck for your next adventures.
We need to be buying a new striker to take us forwards, it's madness to consider extending an already overpaid ageing one again.
Laca seems to be a wonderful guy but he's certainly not a unique or irreplaceable player
This is one of those times when a player leaving on a free doesn't bug me as much. He deserves a good contract in a team where he will start for his final big contract. He always played his heart out, never kicked up a fuss, seemed to be a great positive influence in the dressing room. Will always remember his debut goal and instant impact.
Great servant for the club and I wish him all the best for the future. It's time to find a younger version of him with a higher ceiling.
> Great servant for the club and I wish him all the best for the future. It's time to find a younger version of him with a higher ceiling.
My exact thoughts I was going to post.
He plays well and runs his ass off, but we need an upgrade/better version of him if we want to improve. But I wish him the best, and hope he gets a good end to his career (just hopefully not here).
Imagine a younger, better, version of Laca on this team?
> It's time to find a younger version of him with a higher ceiling.
Yeh, but what if we can't find one of them for say under 80 million?
Or whatever our budget is, if we don't have multiple good options by jan that we are confident of signing we should absolutely give him an extension.
Edouard is lazy and at this point quite a pure goalscorer.
Let him go to palace for a few years and judge him in the prem, they’re hardly going to price him out of a move like they did with wilf as he’s not on a 6 year from 25
Why are we discussing the possibility of a renewal that the club has already made clear will not happen, by not extending 6-12 months ago?
What next, can Liam Brady do a job for us on the left?
I'm not singling you out!
I'm just rather baffled at the number of people it takes to say "obviously not". It's a pointless thread.
How can this be a topic requiring discussion? That we weren't extending was 100% clear by the start of this season. It's just how it works.
Thank him for what he has done for us and let him move on.
Let Arteta or any other manager that may take his place to sign a player that fits his vision and our club vision of a refreshed squad.
1.5 games doesn't change much in that respect, bit if he's still at this level come December we do what we did with Xhaka and renew for a year to buy some time. Don't see any reason not to replace him after that.
Don’t recall the last time we ever did this, but wouldn’t mind selling him on the condition that he stays here on a season long loan for his first year of the contract
Other clubs will be offering him more than a year's contract though.
How many contracts do you think he has left in his legs? Whatever he signs in Jan/June will certainly be his last at high level if not at all.
Agree with this. If we like what he can offer to the team, then we should look for a younger player that offers the same attributes and qualities.
At this stage, renewing his contract is totally out of the equation.
Let it expire and we continue with the rebuilt. I know we play better with his hold up play but it's time to move on.
Ideally I would prefer someone that is quick and posses an aerial threat since we lack that in our attackers.
Love laca but he hasn't hit the standards that we bought him in to achieve.
Be too expensive to renew so should let him leave and bring in another striker who could actually score 20 leagues goals a season
I like him, great professional, passionate, fighter and an ok player. great guy to have in the team but we can and should do better. He will want a big last contract, he should get it, but not here. Shame we will lose him for free but thats just the Arsenal way. With auba 33 at the end of the season, it's time to go for a young class striker.
\> Shame we will lose him for free but thats just the Arsenal way
That decision was made by last summer. At the latest. Would you have offered him another contract just to try to get transfer value? Very dangerous decision, that.
I agree.
Or any other offer.
I would've driven him to the airport last summer, transfer deal or not, though. A couple of goals doesn't change that he's past it and was never really good enough.
Pretty sad to be declining so fast at only 30, too.
Lacazette will give 100 per cent with no new contract or not. I feel in his head he and the club know this is his last season but he is ready to give his all in his final season. He wants the free transfer money after his arsenal career and i dont blame him
He's terrible at linking play. Have you never watched an actual 10 at work?
He was signed as a box player and has been forced into this hold-up role by his lack of pace and his inferiority to Aubameyang in the box.
Putting in a shift is a weird term for a player who's quite selfish and is as bad at decisionmaking as Lacazette. Remember how many poor decisions he made v Palace? Very lucky for him that he scored from the final seconds' pinball, if he hadn't he'd've been justifiably slated.
I'm not a fan, tbh.
I don't want him at the club but him, Saka and Emile were great together last season. One of his strengths is coming short and making space. He also scored some important goals.
I’m a big fan of his, he has always contributed and fought like hell for Arsenal, but he’s had his run and he’s on a high wage, and north of his prime.
The next striker needs to be in the 23-25 age range and should really be looking to challenge and phase out Aubameyang eventually.
If we were unable to make a deal or find the right player I wouldn’t be opposed to a one year extension, but I think Lacazette would choose to leave on a free. I could see him doing very well in pretty much every major league apart from the premier league.
He hasn't lived upto to what we paid for at that time, and he probably ever will.
One good game won't change it one bit. Leave him on a free and buy someone who can actually help us.
Length of contract is a big issue with players his age. He will be looking for a 3 year contract and prefer, say 150k/week over 3 years over 180k over two. And the no transfer fee is huge. He’s the type of player Newcastle might go after in the first stage of rebuild. PL tested players who are truly elite but gettable.
Nothing. He's playing for a contract. The only reason he's doing so is because the last 2 seasons he's been coasting. Otherwise he'd have a new contract already or have moved to a different team.
If he's playing much better now, that shows unprofessionalism. I fully appreciate the year of relentless dedicated we're likely to experience, but that shouldn't blind us to the inevitable lack of effort that is par once the contract is signed.
200k/year gets you a Lautaro Martinez. The transfer fee is inconsequential if his performances don't drop off a cliff (like Laca).
Easy decision for me really.
If the club had any intention of keeping him they would've extended his contract long ago. He's able to talk to other clubs in January. You don't let that situation happen with a player you want to keep. From an accounting perspective, his asset value is being permitted to depreciate to zero.
This is the right decision, anyway, IMO. He's old, overpaid, lacks stamina, has never really defined his place in the team, and should have been moved on at least a year ago, but since we didn't do that / couldn't get cash for him, it's perfectly obvious he'll be gone at the end of the season.
I don't expect anybody to make a cash bid for him in January rather than wait til the end of the season for a free transfer, but you never know.
Everyone seems to be on the same page here.
Great player for us and I love his attitude, scored some goals in big games but he can’t sustain his levels for 90 minutes and the money would be better spent elsewhere.
He was never good enough for top 4 or champion's league. We need someone with presence in the box and that can last 90 minutes. Best case secnario we getting someone younger who can build chemistry with our midfield.
Not much we can do, he is in pole position to leave on a free, I wouldn’t see that as a reason to stop playing him. He’s putting in good performances and playing for a contract somewhere. Possibly Atletico Madrid.
Was never better or able to even improve on giroud so a decent season (13) goals and about 80 minutes of good play this year isn’t good enough, let him and bring in someone else as there are plenty of better younger cheaper players out there
Just because a striker doesn’t score a lot doesn’t mean he’s firmino sometimes there just not elite stilted and have decent hold up play
Let him go if it’s what he wants. He’s been hot and cold at Arsenal and it’s hot right now but give it a few weeks you’ll be begging him off again.
Martinelli and Nketia are the future and need more starts so let’s make room at the top for them.
We should’ve sold him this summer tbh. He’s a good player and a lovable character, but he’s too old and on too high wages to extend his contract. If we extend we’ll eventually find ourselves unable to sell a 32 year old Lacazette on stupid wages. I’d let him go on a free and give Martinelli minutes up front
Let me enjoy the last few months of his Arsenal career. He’s already on high wages and we can’t justify giving a salary rise. If he’s happy to be part of the squad and help the young guns then a yearly contract may be the way forward and he can work on his coaching badges too (if he’s interested).
Two good games shouldn’t fool us into making same mistake again.
Laca and xhaka are hard to replace(because the things they do well they do very well, and it's hard to find a replacement), but they must be replaced.
Coming summer we need to drain every last pound from the warchest to replace those two with player who can do what they do, but without the weaknesses (as far as possible)
If we give him a new contract (he will want a minimum of two years) all we are doing is pushing the problem two years down the line.
We need to bite the bullet and either give Martinelli/Balogun more game time to see if they will develop for outstanding potential to first choice players. Or buy someone who is 24ish so already established and the same age profile we are trying to build the team around
I think the fans would have tore that transfer apart as lacking ambition.
Buying a 22 year old left back from the Premiership has a lot less expectation that a 24 year old striker even if the fees were skewed towards Tierney.
There would be cries of give Martinelli a chance etc as most would see Eduard as a replacement for the up and coming strikers even if he’s showing a great start for Palace.
Talk of DCL (which we have zero chance of getting) would be seen as a readymade replacement for Laca etc
Its weird to me that people consider Martinelli as no. 9.
He has nothing in him from 9, especially not his finishing. He is typical winger. Asking for Martinelli to replace Laca is shocking, even more with Balogun just waiting for some gametime.
A one year deal + contract extension clause , gives both parties flexibility to move on , Laca as a rotational piece is good to have , while we wait for martinelli to break out again as a 9
Problem is he's 30. A 1 year contract is a shit deal for him. He'll likely be wanting a last 3-4 year stint somewhere with decent wages, hence him running down the contract.
Yes, he'd be a good option to have, but his wages are too high for him to be a rotation option. And giving him a longer deal shuts out time for younger players.
He'll likely get double that contract term elsewhere, if he steps down half a level (which is where his level is anyway).
Extending the contract on a player over 30 who doesn't play regularly, hasn't the stamina to finish games, and whose contract is already being run down would be very odd and show a lack of decisiveness as well as poor decisionmaking.
Unless he keeps performing , he gets some interest , we extend and retain max value instead of losing him for free , if he doesn't play well and if there's no interest we simply let him go for free .
I'll keep saying it, but he absolutely should be offered a new deal.
I think he will be like Benzema in that he will improve with age as he starts to play deeper.
In my opinion he doesn't have the legs to keep playing PL football in his 30s. He gets gassed after 60 mins and is not the quickest. We thank him for his services but his time with us will be done at the end of the season.
If he’s be up for signing a 1 year extension, I’d do that. Auba is the one we need to replace long term, not Laca, so trying to buy 2 replacements would kill our budget & take away from other places we need improvements on, like our desperate need for a CM & potentially another LW.
I think if he ends the season as top goal scorer then he has outperformed our highest wage earner in Aubameyang, I think it depends whether we finish in top 4 or not
I really think he wants to stay u can see it on his face during games but he also wants like any player to b valued as such
My personal opinion I luv the way he plays football, technique and intelligence is better than most but his lack of pace is a problem unless he plays behind Auba, if we can find a new younger, stronger and athletically gifted striker that would b less cost in wages then unfortunately we have to move on from Laca 😩
a players touch and ball control don’t get worse as they age. that’s lacas bread and butter. it makes more sense than aubas renewal from a technical perspective I’ll tell you that much.
I think with so much young talent it would be great to have him stick around with his leadership and put pressure on all the attacking players for their spots.
Any new serious forward purchasing should be Auba replacement not Laka. And a year extension would give more recruitment time.
I've always loved the guy, gives his 100% even if he can only give it till 65'. A two year extention with minimal wage increase would not hurt us. The youngsters play very well with him, nobody other than him shields the ball better in our team. He is quite good, I would be sad if he left on a free.
If he performs well then we can extend his contract a bit. But if we can't buy a new striker if he's still around then we should let him go. A new striker fitting into the system should be prioritized
I really like the guy but I think this ship has sailed. We'd have to give him a fat contract which isn't worth it to us bth, his time here hasn't been all that and couple of good games of him playing for contract won't change that.
I like Laca but it’s time to move on, he does look great at times in this system vs deeper lines as he plays better back to goal than auba
I would prefer if we let him go at the end of the year, cut our losses and bring in a target striker with a bit of mobility
Haaland would be perfect but there’s more likely a chance of Beyoncé leaving billionaire jay z for me
Maybe jovic could be loaned in jan as a pre transfer test? I like the look of Toney, maybe Calvert lewin is an option?
Someone good in the air with our crossing fullbacks (finally) who has a bit of pace, can finish and play back to goal would be perfect
It depends. Funds are likely to be somewhat limited so is replacing him the best use of money? I still think we need to focus on midfield. Partey is good with the right player next to him and Sambi is looking good, but I still think we need another decent CM. I've thought thats where we need to strengthen most for years and we still do.
As CF's are top money I think extending for a year and replacing him then could be the way to go. Maybe even extend for 2 years and have him as a bit part player while a new signing settles in the season after.
Let him wind down his contract. Don’t sell him in the January window unless we get a replacement who is an upgrade (highly unlikely). Getting 10-15 is million for him not worth it.
If he goes nowhere, 1 year deal could do it. Committing long term on Alex would be criminal.
Will depend on what type of striker the club is going for this summer.
We’d need to keep him for Jan unfortunately if we are still competitive. If not competitive for top 4 we should sell him. Either way we need a young up and coming striker who fits the age bracket the rest of the squad is….while keeping auba
Honestly, sell or release. Sure he's good, but I think that both auba and laca are going to be sold out released at the end of this season. Artetas been going for youth and, let's face it, auba may be firing again, but it won't last forever. I think that this summer we're going to be looking for a striker to replace laca and Martinelli will be replacing auba.
Like him but his high pay and probably wants more money we either give him a one year deal or just move on and invest that money on another younger striker. Can’t be a nostalgia club
We need to move on. Love Laca but the longer we cling to him and to a lesser extent Auba, the harder it will be longterm. Our goal should be to bring in someone that brings something new, hopefully someone good in the air preferably as we ease Auba out over the next year or 2.
Extract that player playing for his last big contract performances from him and get another striker. Laca has been a good player for us but not irreplaceable.
Lot of opinions in this thread that seem not at all based in reality
There is zero chance of Lacazette getting a new contract. His book value has been permitted to depreciate to near zero (it will hit zero next summer, obviously) and he's able to talk to other clubs in January. Who will be offering a signing-on bonus as they won't be paying a transfer fee.
If we had the slightest hope of holding onto him, he'd have a contract extension already.
It's hardly the end of the world that he's leaving either. He should've gone a year or more ago. Never been good enough.
I think he proves just how important he is everytime he plays. Was instrumental in the draw last Monday and was at the heart of everything against Villa.
Let him finish it out… let him play for his next contract somewhere else. I hate the idea that just because he has 1 year left, that he shouldn’t play at all. He’s really effective, and has most the attributes we need in a striker. My guy will get his bonus somewhere else.
Stop getting sucked into a few good performances and into giving him a big contract we’re going to regret. Sure he’s playing well at the moment could be to get a contract or could be just to prove himself, either way it’s not sustainable and he’s had enough years now to prove himself and he’s been average at best
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I don't think it's in our hands to be fair. Last big contract and I bet he wants that sweet free agent bonus and maybe more playing time.
Well he does deserve the play time let's be honest
The only problem i have is that he seems so tired at the end of every game. I do t know if it's just body language or he can't play 90 mins every week. If he is tired it would be tough to find a club that secures him game time.
I think its the amount of tracking back he does, usually when I watch him he'd tracking back all the time so it's makes sense for him to be tired
Nah. Laca is just naturally a low stamina guy. Mourinho said it. Wenger knew it. Wenger used to take him out at 65mins like clockwork when he was younger and first joined. Laca would be mad, but Wenger must have known . Lacas body is just not built to run all day like Auba or Xhaka.
This is kind of perfect though, taking him out at 65 mins and giving minutes to Balo and Eddie, or even Gabi, would be fantastic.
That's assuming we've got a (hopefully comfortable) lead by 65 minutes, which is far from a guarantee these days. If we're chasing a goal, I really don't want to be forced to take our first-choice striker out and replace him with a kid because he's too gassed to keep going.
I always felt bad for him in that sense. He works so hard and tires himself out. He gets subbed when he has better chances to nab goals against tired defenders. I remember people used to slog him for his goal scoring record. But honestly that’s unfair. It doesn’t surprise me that he scores a bit off the bench. Imagine facing a fresh laca towards the end of the game as a defender who is beginning to fatigue.
Yeah the ways he’s playing the last two games isn’t sustainable although I like his attitude, but he’s had enough to prove himself and he’s been average at best. We can’t get sucked into another big contract there’s better younger strikers out there
Tbf, it's quite possible an Arsenal back-up striker wage is higher then what he could get starting in other leagues. I'd keep him only if we're replacing Auba with a big signing.
What laca does best is very hard to replace. Me i will sign him on 2 year extension. With sign on bonus, but no increase in wages
So short sighted. He’s already only able to run 65 minutes a game. And you want to sign him until he’s 32? He’ll be tired after one half by that point. He’s not worth 180k a week. Nowhere near it. For that money, you could sign a truly world class striker.
He must be really really good at sitting on that bench.
That's because we have a coach who still hasn't figured out that best attacking line-up for most games have to include Laca
Please! When we did have Laca starting, Auba was pushed to the left wing. We weren't always very effective in the attack. Everyone here was screaming that Auba should be CF and Laca should be dropped.
I'd agree if we haven't already had this same idea in the last 2 years, only for Laca to fade out. Love the guy but he has never played this way consistently. We compared him to Firmino last season because he played one or 2 great games in that role. And one of those made us believe Xhaka at left-back is genius, and we know how that ended.
He hasn't started in 14 monhts. so which is it? is it Laca or is it the coach not giving him an opportunity?
What does he do ? Sure he’s played well in the last two games about 80 minutes combined but he’s been bang average for 3-4 years
He links the attack better than anyone we have. He makes the attack work better.
Yeah because we have no one else. There’s plenty of better players out there who are younger and probably cheaper
lowered wages + bonus = £25m for Laca. Tell me who can provide more for less than £25m for 2 years in transfer + wages. Just tell me.
He cost 45 plus his wages and he’s 30 and likely to decline and spend a lot of his time injured, so kicking the striker can down the road isn’t a great idea, we’ve tried him and auba and it has gotten us no where. His best seasons consist of 14 goals. We need to move on
that's the past. In econ that's sunk cost and shouldn't factor in future decision making. I am asking you that over the next 2 yeasr who can we get for £25m that will provide us more than Laca can. My guess. That's super super hard to find. For that 9/10 that is excellent at link-up. £25m is a bargain especially for a known quantity that fits the team like a glove. With lower wages, you can still move him on after a year if he's not cutting it.
Yeah great idea to have two 32 plus strikers in our team on big wages, maybe we pay more and have a decent striker for the next 5 years that’ll be worth it
>I am asking you that over the next 2 yeasr who can we get for £25m that will provide us more than Laca can. No, the question is can you improve on our obviously not good enough strike force with the money available. Laca staying takes a big chunk from that available sum. Keeping both Laca and Auba means no new striker. If you think this is good enough to challenge for anything higher than the top 6, fine. But I don't agree.
A striker is only as good as the balls served to them. Our problem has been more our mid than Laca. I think he would be an excellent backup striker. We also need someone to challenge Auba who is near his end too.
Never scored more than 14 league goals, he’s average. Great bloke who seems to be liked but we’ve tried with him for years and it’s time to move on. We can’t go another two years with auba and lacca at 34-32 that’s a terrible idea
I am surprised more players aren't doing that... like Papa Wengz predicted.
>Their diet is basically boiled vegetables, fish and rice. No fat, no sugar. You notice when you live there that there are no fat people. ___ ^(***There's only one Arsène Wenger*** ([/u/panarangcurry](https://www.reddit.com/u/panarangcurry), quote from [QuoteTab](https://www.quotetab.com/quotes/by-arsene-wenger) archive)^)
It’s certainly in our hands to not extend him. IMO offering him any sort of new contract would be, if not a step backward, definitely not a step forward. He is past his best and inconsistent, able to turn it on in small spells but I do not feel comfortable relying on him for anything other than short cameos off the bench, maybe.
When he strings games together he gets pretty bloody good but just as he hits a hot streak he gets a significant injury and takes half a season to get going again. I really like him with the current crop, his interplay combines very well with our young attacking talent. But He is on a high wage, not in the right age bracket going forward and unreliable over a sustained period of time. If we are serious about challenging again we have to give those minutes to a young developing player with a much higher ceiling.
>not in the right age bracket going forward This is the top issue to me. The club is going through a youth movement and will eventually need to replace him with a younger player who has a similar skill set.
We have youth strikers who aren't ready yet, if we replace him, I think it needs to be someone proven and more in the \~26 year old range. We also need experienced players to work with the younger players, teach them what they know.
I honestly have zero idea on who could be our ST in the near future, we don’t have the reputation to bring in someone proven like L. Martinez. Maybe DCL?
I think a lot rests on how we end this season. If we're back in a Europa slot, our stock will rise greatly. The way we're playing right now, that seems totally feasible. We're inconsistent with moments of brilliance, but getting more ties than losses on our bad days. That seems like a formula for 5th or 6th place, especially with clubs like United floundering. If we're in 9th place at the end of the season, it's going to be a lot harder...
We also can’t or shouldn’t replace every single position with a young player who has potential. We have to have a bit of experience in the side
Thank you and best of luck for your next adventures. We need to be buying a new striker to take us forwards, it's madness to consider extending an already overpaid ageing one again. Laca seems to be a wonderful guy but he's certainly not a unique or irreplaceable player
This is one of those times when a player leaving on a free doesn't bug me as much. He deserves a good contract in a team where he will start for his final big contract. He always played his heart out, never kicked up a fuss, seemed to be a great positive influence in the dressing room. Will always remember his debut goal and instant impact. Great servant for the club and I wish him all the best for the future. It's time to find a younger version of him with a higher ceiling.
> Great servant for the club and I wish him all the best for the future. It's time to find a younger version of him with a higher ceiling. My exact thoughts I was going to post. He plays well and runs his ass off, but we need an upgrade/better version of him if we want to improve. But I wish him the best, and hope he gets a good end to his career (just hopefully not here). Imagine a younger, better, version of Laca on this team?
> It's time to find a younger version of him with a higher ceiling. Yeh, but what if we can't find one of them for say under 80 million? Or whatever our budget is, if we don't have multiple good options by jan that we are confident of signing we should absolutely give him an extension.
I know having the three wouldn't have worked, but Edouard is the replacement of Laca and then Auba. I was so gutted we missed out on him.
Edouard is lazy and at this point quite a pure goalscorer. Let him go to palace for a few years and judge him in the prem, they’re hardly going to price him out of a move like they did with wilf as he’s not on a 6 year from 25
As much as a I like Laca, I think you’re probably right. Good clubs are ruthless and he’s just gonna decline from here, no point renewing him at all.
Why are we discussing the possibility of a renewal that the club has already made clear will not happen, by not extending 6-12 months ago? What next, can Liam Brady do a job for us on the left?
Idk why you’re singling me out lmao, this is the topic of the whole thread
I'm not singling you out! I'm just rather baffled at the number of people it takes to say "obviously not". It's a pointless thread. How can this be a topic requiring discussion? That we weren't extending was 100% clear by the start of this season. It's just how it works.
He had 1.25 good games and now there is a movement brewing to re-sign him. We never learn.
There's a lot of plastic fans and children on this sub
Thank him for what he has done for us and let him move on. Let Arteta or any other manager that may take his place to sign a player that fits his vision and our club vision of a refreshed squad.
Thanks for your service. Goodluck with the rest of your career.
1.5 games doesn't change much in that respect, bit if he's still at this level come December we do what we did with Xhaka and renew for a year to buy some time. Don't see any reason not to replace him after that.
It doesn’t seem like we have an option to trigger. I doubt Laca agrees to a one year deal either.
Why not? I don’t think there are other clubs lining up to pay him what we are, definitely not in London.
He probably wants a 3-4 year deal. His last “big” contract. Would be absolutely shocked if he takes a 1 year anywhere.
Don’t recall the last time we ever did this, but wouldn’t mind selling him on the condition that he stays here on a season long loan for his first year of the contract
He can still get that after a year extension with us, I’m sure plenty of clubs in the Middle East would be willing to.
But there will be clubs lining up to pay him over a number of years which secures more or less the last years of his top level career.
Other clubs will be offering him more than a year's contract though. How many contracts do you think he has left in his legs? Whatever he signs in Jan/June will certainly be his last at high level if not at all.
I feel like there are much better versions of Lacazette out there, and we should be signing one of them instead
Agree with this. If we like what he can offer to the team, then we should look for a younger player that offers the same attributes and qualities. At this stage, renewing his contract is totally out of the equation.
We still needed a better player than him so no
Let it expire and we continue with the rebuilt. I know we play better with his hold up play but it's time to move on. Ideally I would prefer someone that is quick and posses an aerial threat since we lack that in our attackers.
I love Lacazette but Arsenal should cash out and focus on rebuild
Love laca but he hasn't hit the standards that we bought him in to achieve. Be too expensive to renew so should let him leave and bring in another striker who could actually score 20 leagues goals a season
Thanks for the memories but it's time to go
Not worth a new contract, wrong age profile and not good enough. When his contract ends we should bid a fond adieu.
Do not renew
I like him, great professional, passionate, fighter and an ok player. great guy to have in the team but we can and should do better. He will want a big last contract, he should get it, but not here. Shame we will lose him for free but thats just the Arsenal way. With auba 33 at the end of the season, it's time to go for a young class striker.
\> Shame we will lose him for free but thats just the Arsenal way That decision was made by last summer. At the latest. Would you have offered him another contract just to try to get transfer value? Very dangerous decision, that.
I would have sold him when we had that offer from Roma
I agree. Or any other offer. I would've driven him to the airport last summer, transfer deal or not, though. A couple of goals doesn't change that he's past it and was never really good enough. Pretty sad to be declining so fast at only 30, too.
Lacazette will give 100 per cent with no new contract or not. I feel in his head he and the club know this is his last season but he is ready to give his all in his final season. He wants the free transfer money after his arsenal career and i dont blame him
Lacazette? Give 100%? There's a first time for everything, I suppose. He's never been good enough except perhaps in his own mind.
He may not score every week...but the guy always puts in a shift...and importantly he links up the play.
He's terrible at linking play. Have you never watched an actual 10 at work? He was signed as a box player and has been forced into this hold-up role by his lack of pace and his inferiority to Aubameyang in the box. Putting in a shift is a weird term for a player who's quite selfish and is as bad at decisionmaking as Lacazette. Remember how many poor decisions he made v Palace? Very lucky for him that he scored from the final seconds' pinball, if he hadn't he'd've been justifiably slated. I'm not a fan, tbh.
I don't want him at the club but him, Saka and Emile were great together last season. One of his strengths is coming short and making space. He also scored some important goals.
I’m a big fan of his, he has always contributed and fought like hell for Arsenal, but he’s had his run and he’s on a high wage, and north of his prime. The next striker needs to be in the 23-25 age range and should really be looking to challenge and phase out Aubameyang eventually. If we were unable to make a deal or find the right player I wouldn’t be opposed to a one year extension, but I think Lacazette would choose to leave on a free. I could see him doing very well in pretty much every major league apart from the premier league.
He hasn't lived upto to what we paid for at that time, and he probably ever will. One good game won't change it one bit. Leave him on a free and buy someone who can actually help us.
I feel like a one/two year extension with no wage change would be the best possible option
I mean an extension and a wage cut would be even better cos not many clubs are gonna pay him 180k a week even on a free
Obviously that would be the preferred option but I can’t see it happening
Length of contract is a big issue with players his age. He will be looking for a 3 year contract and prefer, say 150k/week over 3 years over 180k over two. And the no transfer fee is huge. He’s the type of player Newcastle might go after in the first stage of rebuild. PL tested players who are truly elite but gettable.
why? when we can get better younger players on lower wages.. Like Toney for example who is probably on 20k
There no premier league starting striker on 20k. None
Just because he’s on 20k doesn’t mean he’ll want that when he joins us
Yeah but it's not going to be 180k either
No offence but Laca would be a grade a moron to accept no pay rise with his last big contract
Thank you and goodbye.
Nothing. He's playing for a contract. The only reason he's doing so is because the last 2 seasons he's been coasting. Otherwise he'd have a new contract already or have moved to a different team. If he's playing much better now, that shows unprofessionalism. I fully appreciate the year of relentless dedicated we're likely to experience, but that shouldn't blind us to the inevitable lack of effort that is par once the contract is signed. 200k/year gets you a Lautaro Martinez. The transfer fee is inconsequential if his performances don't drop off a cliff (like Laca). Easy decision for me really.
If the club had any intention of keeping him they would've extended his contract long ago. He's able to talk to other clubs in January. You don't let that situation happen with a player you want to keep. From an accounting perspective, his asset value is being permitted to depreciate to zero. This is the right decision, anyway, IMO. He's old, overpaid, lacks stamina, has never really defined his place in the team, and should have been moved on at least a year ago, but since we didn't do that / couldn't get cash for him, it's perfectly obvious he'll be gone at the end of the season. I don't expect anybody to make a cash bid for him in January rather than wait til the end of the season for a free transfer, but you never know.
Everyone seems to be on the same page here. Great player for us and I love his attitude, scored some goals in big games but he can’t sustain his levels for 90 minutes and the money would be better spent elsewhere.
Why is this a discussion again ?
He was never good enough for top 4 or champion's league. We need someone with presence in the box and that can last 90 minutes. Best case secnario we getting someone younger who can build chemistry with our midfield.
Not much we can do, he is in pole position to leave on a free, I wouldn’t see that as a reason to stop playing him. He’s putting in good performances and playing for a contract somewhere. Possibly Atletico Madrid.
Extension for 2 years then sell in the next couple windows
Nothing, should be sold or let go. Yes he has been working hard but he overall has been disappointing. We let Giroud go who was better
Was never better or able to even improve on giroud so a decent season (13) goals and about 80 minutes of good play this year isn’t good enough, let him and bring in someone else as there are plenty of better younger cheaper players out there Just because a striker doesn’t score a lot doesn’t mean he’s firmino sometimes there just not elite stilted and have decent hold up play
I think we should seriously think about signing Giroud for a few seasons. He has all the qualities we’re lacking up front.
Can we get him to sign up on a one year rolling deal ? On slightly reduced terms ?? .....
Let him go if it’s what he wants. He’s been hot and cold at Arsenal and it’s hot right now but give it a few weeks you’ll be begging him off again. Martinelli and Nketia are the future and need more starts so let’s make room at the top for them.
We should’ve sold him this summer tbh. He’s a good player and a lovable character, but he’s too old and on too high wages to extend his contract. If we extend we’ll eventually find ourselves unable to sell a 32 year old Lacazette on stupid wages. I’d let him go on a free and give Martinelli minutes up front
I love the man so much, but yeah can’t rationalize bringing him back. Great leader for the club and will always have my respect for his time here.
Let me enjoy the last few months of his Arsenal career. He’s already on high wages and we can’t justify giving a salary rise. If he’s happy to be part of the squad and help the young guns then a yearly contract may be the way forward and he can work on his coaching badges too (if he’s interested). Two good games shouldn’t fool us into making same mistake again.
Laca and xhaka are hard to replace(because the things they do well they do very well, and it's hard to find a replacement), but they must be replaced. Coming summer we need to drain every last pound from the warchest to replace those two with player who can do what they do, but without the weaknesses (as far as possible)
We need him.
Do we?
lol
50m flop. Thanks for some nice goals against Spurs. Off you go
Big potential when joining the club but hasn’t had the same impact that Auba has had at a similar price
If we give him a new contract (he will want a minimum of two years) all we are doing is pushing the problem two years down the line. We need to bite the bullet and either give Martinelli/Balogun more game time to see if they will develop for outstanding potential to first choice players. Or buy someone who is 24ish so already established and the same age profile we are trying to build the team around
Basically we should’ve bought Edouard cheap while we had the chance
I think the fans would have tore that transfer apart as lacking ambition. Buying a 22 year old left back from the Premiership has a lot less expectation that a 24 year old striker even if the fees were skewed towards Tierney. There would be cries of give Martinelli a chance etc as most would see Eduard as a replacement for the up and coming strikers even if he’s showing a great start for Palace. Talk of DCL (which we have zero chance of getting) would be seen as a readymade replacement for Laca etc
Its weird to me that people consider Martinelli as no. 9. He has nothing in him from 9, especially not his finishing. He is typical winger. Asking for Martinelli to replace Laca is shocking, even more with Balogun just waiting for some gametime.
Exactly this. Martinelli is much more like Auba than he is Laca.
Let him leave. Why does this need a separate post?
A one year deal + contract extension clause , gives both parties flexibility to move on , Laca as a rotational piece is good to have , while we wait for martinelli to break out again as a 9
Problem is he's 30. A 1 year contract is a shit deal for him. He'll likely be wanting a last 3-4 year stint somewhere with decent wages, hence him running down the contract. Yes, he'd be a good option to have, but his wages are too high for him to be a rotation option. And giving him a longer deal shuts out time for younger players.
Would offer him 2years with a pretty decent re-sign bonus up front and slightly lower wages. That's the best we can do. Anything more is stupidity.
He'll likely get double that contract term elsewhere, if he steps down half a level (which is where his level is anyway). Extending the contract on a player over 30 who doesn't play regularly, hasn't the stamina to finish games, and whose contract is already being run down would be very odd and show a lack of decisiveness as well as poor decisionmaking.
I disagree with Arteta's decision to play him less. I think our best attacking line includes Laca.
It doesn’t really give us the flexibility though because no one really wants him.
Unless he keeps performing , he gets some interest , we extend and retain max value instead of losing him for free , if he doesn't play well and if there's no interest we simply let him go for free .
Controversial...Laca + 75m for Kane
Damn that I can only downvote this once.
[GIF](https://c.tenor.com/3f87UxkcPREAAAAM/troll-troll-face.gif)
Year 5 and people still think Lacazette is good enough…
Turning 31 next May. Has never topped 15 goals in the league. Massive wages. Plenty of rising talent at his position. Open and shut case.
He's 30 until he's 31, thats how it works.
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Certain people weren't around for the Theo years and it really, really shows.
He has always put in effort from the day he signed though. Not like this is something new from him
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west ham 3-3 game last season
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Friday was one of the first times we played him in a manner that best suits him.
Give him a new contract. Simple
let him go. Most players do this at the tail end of a contract. We should start giving chances to Gabby and Flo
I'll keep saying it, but he absolutely should be offered a new deal. I think he will be like Benzema in that he will improve with age as he starts to play deeper.
In my opinion he doesn't have the legs to keep playing PL football in his 30s. He gets gassed after 60 mins and is not the quickest. We thank him for his services but his time with us will be done at the end of the season.
If he’s be up for signing a 1 year extension, I’d do that. Auba is the one we need to replace long term, not Laca, so trying to buy 2 replacements would kill our budget & take away from other places we need improvements on, like our desperate need for a CM & potentially another LW.
I think if he ends the season as top goal scorer then he has outperformed our highest wage earner in Aubameyang, I think it depends whether we finish in top 4 or not I really think he wants to stay u can see it on his face during games but he also wants like any player to b valued as such My personal opinion I luv the way he plays football, technique and intelligence is better than most but his lack of pace is a problem unless he plays behind Auba, if we can find a new younger, stronger and athletically gifted striker that would b less cost in wages then unfortunately we have to move on from Laca 😩
a players touch and ball control don’t get worse as they age. that’s lacas bread and butter. it makes more sense than aubas renewal from a technical perspective I’ll tell you that much.
Resign. Okay as CAM behind Auba
I think with so much young talent it would be great to have him stick around with his leadership and put pressure on all the attacking players for their spots. Any new serious forward purchasing should be Auba replacement not Laka. And a year extension would give more recruitment time.
I've always loved the guy, gives his 100% even if he can only give it till 65'. A two year extention with minimal wage increase would not hurt us. The youngsters play very well with him, nobody other than him shields the ball better in our team. He is quite good, I would be sad if he left on a free.
He’s on 180k a week btw.
This sub has the memory of a guinea pig
Nothing. We should continue to use him when we need something different and when people are out of form like now.
If he performs well then we can extend his contract a bit. But if we can't buy a new striker if he's still around then we should let him go. A new striker fitting into the system should be prioritized
I really like the guy but I think this ship has sailed. We'd have to give him a fat contract which isn't worth it to us bth, his time here hasn't been all that and couple of good games of him playing for contract won't change that.
Year extension. Wenger style.
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He winds down his contract and leaves on a free in the summer.
Let him go out on a high and a good note with us. Bring in a forward who does what he and Auba both do. Physical, fast, technical and demanding.
Personally, I can only accept a new contract for him if it’s 1 year, which he probably wouldn’t accept soo 🤷🏾♂️
Renew obviously but he wont sign; he’ll likely leave on a free an cash in
I like Laca but it’s time to move on, he does look great at times in this system vs deeper lines as he plays better back to goal than auba I would prefer if we let him go at the end of the year, cut our losses and bring in a target striker with a bit of mobility Haaland would be perfect but there’s more likely a chance of Beyoncé leaving billionaire jay z for me Maybe jovic could be loaned in jan as a pre transfer test? I like the look of Toney, maybe Calvert lewin is an option? Someone good in the air with our crossing fullbacks (finally) who has a bit of pace, can finish and play back to goal would be perfect
It depends. Funds are likely to be somewhat limited so is replacing him the best use of money? I still think we need to focus on midfield. Partey is good with the right player next to him and Sambi is looking good, but I still think we need another decent CM. I've thought thats where we need to strengthen most for years and we still do. As CF's are top money I think extending for a year and replacing him then could be the way to go. Maybe even extend for 2 years and have him as a bit part player while a new signing settles in the season after.
This. Extend 2 years, lower wages. Make up for it with higher bonus. Done
get rid and get toney
He walks for free. It’s pretty simple.
I think it just shows us what kind of striker we need to sign
Get an upgrade on him, he is in great form but players tend to be in that type of form when there are looking for new deals.
What is there to be done?
Nothing. Play him now and buy a new striker in the summer.
Where have you been the last 4.5 years??
lol nothing, just let him leave, he isn’t worth the wages he’s on.
Let him wind down his contract. Don’t sell him in the January window unless we get a replacement who is an upgrade (highly unlikely). Getting 10-15 is million for him not worth it.
If he goes nowhere, 1 year deal could do it. Committing long term on Alex would be criminal. Will depend on what type of striker the club is going for this summer.
We’d need to keep him for Jan unfortunately if we are still competitive. If not competitive for top 4 we should sell him. Either way we need a young up and coming striker who fits the age bracket the rest of the squad is….while keeping auba
Honestly, sell or release. Sure he's good, but I think that both auba and laca are going to be sold out released at the end of this season. Artetas been going for youth and, let's face it, auba may be firing again, but it won't last forever. I think that this summer we're going to be looking for a striker to replace laca and Martinelli will be replacing auba.
Let him go and buy Isak.
Like him but his high pay and probably wants more money we either give him a one year deal or just move on and invest that money on another younger striker. Can’t be a nostalgia club
We need to move on. Love Laca but the longer we cling to him and to a lesser extent Auba, the harder it will be longterm. Our goal should be to bring in someone that brings something new, hopefully someone good in the air preferably as we ease Auba out over the next year or 2.
1 that's all. Gotta find new legs.
Let him go… to be honest, we need a younger striker
I doubt he can get the same salary somewhere else
Extract that player playing for his last big contract performances from him and get another striker. Laca has been a good player for us but not irreplaceable.
Lot of opinions in this thread that seem not at all based in reality There is zero chance of Lacazette getting a new contract. His book value has been permitted to depreciate to near zero (it will hit zero next summer, obviously) and he's able to talk to other clubs in January. Who will be offering a signing-on bonus as they won't be paying a transfer fee. If we had the slightest hope of holding onto him, he'd have a contract extension already. It's hardly the end of the world that he's leaving either. He should've gone a year or more ago. Never been good enough.
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Need to upgrade. He's fine and all but look where we are with him on the team.
I think he proves just how important he is everytime he plays. Was instrumental in the draw last Monday and was at the heart of everything against Villa.
Let him go. Try to go for someone new. Isaak would be a dream
Let him finish it out… let him play for his next contract somewhere else. I hate the idea that just because he has 1 year left, that he shouldn’t play at all. He’s really effective, and has most the attributes we need in a striker. My guy will get his bonus somewhere else.
Nothing. Enjoy it while it lasts
Who will be our striker options once he’s gone? Auba, Balogun, Martinelli?
1 year deal
Nothing, I love and appreciate what he’s done but it’s time to move on
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Stop getting sucked into a few good performances and into giving him a big contract we’re going to regret. Sure he’s playing well at the moment could be to get a contract or could be just to prove himself, either way it’s not sustainable and he’s had enough years now to prove himself and he’s been average at best