Arsenal step up talks over £49million deal for striker Lacazette

Arsenal have held further talks with Lyon over the striker Alexandre Lacazette, who would be a clubrecord £49 million signing, plus additional payments, should he decide to come to the Premier League club despite there being no Champions League football at the Emirates next season.

The 26-year-old is now Arsenal’s most realistic target despite their interest in Monaco’s Kylian Mbappé. As reported by The Daily Telegraph this month, Arsène Wenger would like Lacazette, Mbappe and his Monaco team-mate Thomas Lemar as he rebuilds his team this summer.

Lacazette is still behind Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud when it comes to selection for the France national team – it was the latter who started in the win over England in Paris this month – but the versatility of the Lyon man makes him a potential replacement for Alexis Sánchez. Lacazette, who has scored at the rate of one in every two games in domestic football in France, can play right across the front three.

Lacazette was due to move to Atlético Madrid before their transfer embargo was upheld and has since had to reassess his options. It would be the first in a series of moves that Wenger hopes will give him a new-look team for his 20th full season at Arsenal. Sánchez and Mesut Özil are yet to resolve their futures while Giroud, Alex Oxladechamberlain, Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Wojciech Szczesny could leave. Giroud is not one whom Wenger wants to let go but he accepts that the French striker wants to play more.

Lyon president Jean-michel Aulas is in a position to demand Arsenal pay a club-record fee given their stated ambition to make top signings this summer, and the interest in Lacazette from Europe.

Arsenal and Chelsea are to donate their club match fee from the upcoming Community Shield clash to the Grenfell Tower support fund. Fans going to Wembley will each have the opportunity to contribute £5 to the fund. Premier League clubs have agreed to make a collective £250,000 donation.