I have no doubts about Alexandre Lacazette's motivation, admits Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta has praised the efforts of Alexandre Lacazette and claims that he has no doubts over the forward's motivations amid uncertainty over his future at the Emirates Stadium. The French forward has less than a year remaining on his deal and can talk to interested parties in January.
Alexandre Lacazette joined Arsenal on a five-year deal from Lyon for a then club-record fee of an initial 53 million plus up to €7 million in potential add-ons. Lacazette has been an influential player for the Gunners as he has made 175 appearances while scoring 68 goals and providing 29 assists across all competitions. The French forward has helped the London club win one FA Cup and one Community Shield during his stint so far at the club.Â
The 30-year-old's form has dropped off in recent seasons and he is yet to start a Premier League game this campaign making just three appearances off the bench. Lacazette proved his prowess in Arsenal's last game against Crystal Palace as he scored a dramatic injury-time equalizer on Monday night to salvage a 2-2 draw for Mikel Arteta's side. The Gunners boss admitted that Lacazette's situation remains the same as his contract winds down but Arteta claims that he has no doubts over the 30-year-old's motivations.Â
“It's the situation that we have and we have to accept it. I cannot ask anything from the player… and it's not an individual situation because it has a knock-on effect. All of this we have had to deal with in the past and still now, we have to see what the best option is for everybody at the end of the season,” Arteta told Sky Sports.
"I had no doubts about that [his motivation] and if I did I would probably have decided to do something different in the summer if the motivation was just his financial future. It's not the case with Laca and he has shown that since I've been here every single day and that he remains a really important player for us,” he added.