ALEXANDRE Lacazette has agreed to join French Ligue 1 football club Lyon following his summer Arsenal departure, reports claim. Lacazette’s imminent arrival at Lyon casts more doubt on the future of Zimbabwean striker Tinotenda Kadewere at the club.
Kadewere struggled for game time in the just ended 2021/22 campaign and there has been a strong belief he might leave the club. A couple of teams across Europe, including French Ligue 1 side Brest, have expressed interest in the services of the Warriors forward, and his representatives will meet with Lyon officials to discuss the way forward.
Prosper Kadewere, who handles the player’s affairs locally, this told The Herald that: “The boy still has a contract with Lyon, and as a professional, we still respect that although there are few clubs showing interest.
“Myself and Jihed Taniche of PPM (Tino’s representative in France) will have a meeting with the club and see what’s best for both of us.”
Kadewere is under contract at Les Gones until June 2024 but could be heading for the exit following the news that Lacazette has decided to join Lyon as a free agent. The Frenchman allowed his Gunners contract to run down and is set to be a free agent.
Lacazette (31) wore the captain’s armband at the Emirates for much of last season, but decided to move on.
According to The Athletic, he has opted to re-join Lyon – the side he left to sign for Arsenal in 2017.
Lacazette joined the Gunners for around £47m from the Ligue 1 outfit ahead of Arsene Wenger’s final season in charge at the Emirates.
He scored 17 goals in his debut campaign, but saw his importance wane following the January 2018 arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Lacazette would go on to play 206 times for the Gunners, scoring 71 goals and laying on 36 assists.
As his contract neared its conclusion, Lyon’s interest in a reunion grew.
Back in February, Lyon general manager Vincent Ponsot said of Lacazette: “He’s a player who interests us for all that he has represented here.
“We noticed his maturity and he is someone that the club have stayed in contact with.” Club president Jean-Michel Aulas, notorious for driving a hard bargain, added: “We will make every possible effort.”
In the aftermath of Aubameyang’s fall out with Mikel Arteta and subsequent exit, Lacazette started 16 consecutive games for the club.
But following a bout of Covid and a lack of goals, he lost his place to Eddie Nketiah in the final weeks of the season.
Nketiah (23) is now set to sign a five-year deal “worth £100 000-a-week”.
Meanwhile, Lacazette has opened up on his exit from Arsenal and sent a message to the club’s fans upon his departure. The 31-year-old’s five-year spell at the Emirates Stadium has come to an end, with the striker expected to return to former club Lyon when his contract expires at the end of June.
Lacazette scored 71 goals in 206 appearances in all competitions after joining the Gunners from Ligue 1 side Lyon in 2017. When asked about the decision to leave the north London club in an exit interview on Arsenal’s website, he said: ‘’With the club, we decided to go apart – the club taking a new direction but the end of my contract as well.— The Sun/Metro/Soccer24/Sports Reporter.