The international break invariably prompts more than its fair share of spurious rumours but still claims emerging from the continent that Alexandre Lacazette could have left Arsenal for Zenit St Petersburg ought to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Football agent Dmitry Cheltsov told Sports Business Gazeta not only that he had offered Lacazette to Zenit but that he believed Arsenal would have been prepared to sell him for £45million, roughly the same sum that the Gunners parted with to sign the French striker from Lyon in
Cheltsov said: “I offered Alexandre Lacazette to Zenit. Their sporting director Javier Ribalta said to me: ‘Are you crazy? His release clause is €68million.’
“I told him you can negotiate with Arsenal. I am sure they will be ready to accept something between €50million and €55million. His salary would be €7-8million after tax.”
Despite these claims football.london understands that Arsenal did not consider selling Lacazette, their 2018/19 player of the season, this summer. There is no release clause in his contract.
![[FILE] Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (L) runs with the ball as Arsenal’s Brazilian defender Gabriel closes in during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in London. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/000_97B779-scaled-e1703231851386-120x86.jpg "Liverpool host Arsenal in battle for Premier League Christmas No. 1 2")
In the unlikely event that Arsenal were to opt to part ways with Lacazette it is believed they would look for a fee in excess of £100million before they would even consider doing business.
Arsenal’s current priority where Lacazette is concerned is to tie him down to a new contract and talks are underway to extend terms that run until 2022. The Gunners would be prepared to offer the 28-year-old an increase on his current £180,000-a-week salary in addition to bonuses for Champions League qualification and performance-related add-ons.
Arsenal’s hierarchy are not expected to reach the same heights in salary for Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose terms expire in 2021, as they did for Mesut Ozil, whose £350,000-a-week contract has proven to be a millstone around their neck. However head of football Raul Sanllehi, technical director Edu and head coach Unai Emery will do all they can to keep their star players on board.
Lacazette is currently sidelined with an ankle injury but returned to the London Colney training pitches last week. Arsenal are awaiting further signs of progress before they decide whether the striker will be fit for their first game after the international break, away to Sheffield United on October 21.
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