Atletico Madrid are reportedly making quick strides in signing Alexandre Lacazette from Arsenal.
Soccer Link claims that Atletico Madrid president, Andrea Berta was keen on bringing the striker to Madrid and even held personal talks with him.
The reports suggests that the Gunners would be open to selling Lacazette after a poor scoring season from the Frenchman. Lacazette has seen an upturn in form after Mikel Arteta’s arrival but he has struggled to find the back of the net consistently. It has become abundantly clear that playing both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lacazette in the same lineup is not the most efficient of choices for Arsenal.
Moving Lacazette on will allow Arteta to shift Aubameyang centrally and play Gabriel Martinelli out wide. The Gunners are also pursuing a deal for Philippe Coutinho who is out of sorts with both Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The Brazilian playmaker is available for either a loan move or a permanent transfer for around €60-70m this summer.
Reports suggest that Coutinho would prefer a move to Chelsea but Arsenal are just as strongly linked to him as the West Londoners. The 27-year-old will be an immediate upgrade over Mesut Ozil who looks ineffective in most games. Selling Lacazette will also allow Arsenal to reinvest in more favourable signings such as Coutinho. Arteta has a monumental task ahead of him in balancing the squad this summer while also adding more quality to it.
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