Arsenal’s transfer bid for Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette must move up to £57million if they want to rope in the Frenchman this summer.
Lyon CEO Jean-Michel Aulas accentuated that the Gunners must match Atletico Madrid’s offer or they would wait until the transfer ban on the Spanish club is lifted in January 2018.
Earlier, FootTheBall had reported that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger chief executive Ivan Gazidis held a meeting with Lyon president Jean-Michael Aulas to negotiate a transfer bid for the French striker.
And now the Lyon chief confirmed that Wenger met him and and general manager Gerard Houllier during England’s 3-2 defeat to France.
Wenger had insisted that they want to rope in the French striker but did not reveal how much they want to shell out.
Lacazette has proved his class in the last four seasons at Lyon – with a total of 113 goals to his name out of which he has netted 37 times in the 2016-17 campaign.
The 26-year-old French striker has been under the radar of Premier League clubs – with Arsenal and Liverpool keen on roping in him, but he had expressed desire of a move to Atletico Madrid.
And now the FIFA punishment for signing under-age players means Atletico Madrid will be blocked from securing the signatures of Lacazette.
Speaking to L’Equipe, Aulas said: “I do not intend to cede Alexandre [Lacazette] quickly, because there is always the will of Atletico Madrid to bring it [the transfer] to January 1.”
“Now I also listen to what Alexandre says. I saw Arsene [Wenger] during the France versus England match.”
“I was with Gerard Houllier and I understand that he told Gerard that there could be interest from Arsenal.”
“But it’s premature to say that things will happen. It takes a very large transfer before. A player of that quality cannot be allowed to leave without having his replacement.”
“It will have to be at least that [£57m].”
“Everyone knows that the offer of Atletico is €53m [£46.5m] plus €12M [£10.5m].”
That’s €65m [£57m].”
“As the leaders of Arsenal are well informed, they will be in those waters.”
“The prices for a player who marks every year with between 25 and 30 goals, sometimes more than 30, is at least that.”
“But frankly, I have not thought about Arsenal for the moment, because I thought that Alexandre would stay because of the failure, initially, with the Atletico Madrid move.”