“They will probably give him £400k-a-week” – Paul Merson jokes about Arsenal finding solution to striker situation at Emirates
Paul Merson has said that Alexandre Lacazette is probably a few goals away from earning a £400,000 a week contract at Arsenal.
The Gunners have only Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as their recognized strikers after they offloaded Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona on a free transfer.
Meanwhile, Lacazette has scored only three league goals this season. He is also in the final six months of his contract with the Gunners and is likely to leave the club in the summer. Merson joked that the 30-year-old is a few goals away from earning a bumper contract at the Gunners, saying:
“They aren’t going to have a centre-forward, but the plan will probably be Lacazette will probably get ten goals before the end of the season. Then they will probably give him £400k-a-week.”
Alexandre Lacazette will look to lead the line as Arsenal face unprecedented striker crisis
Alexandre Lacazette's recent form for the Gunners hasn't inspired much confidence. However, he has a decent record for the club, tallying 70 goals and 32 assists in nearly 200 games across competitions since arriving in the summer of 2017.
The Gunners were linked with several strikers throughout the winter transfer window. That included the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Alexandre Isak, but Arsenal failed to sign any of them. Aubameyang was the club's marquee striker, so it will be interesting to see how the club cope without him as they chase a top-four finish.
Arsenal miss out on Dusan Vlahovic 🥺 https://t.co/O1AL11BFm8
The Gabonese was frozen out of the first team by manager Mikel Arteta due to disciplinary issues. Aubameyang last featured for the club in the Premier League against Everton on 7 December.
After Aubameyang's departure, the Frenchman is the only senior striker at the Emirates. His 22-year-old teammate Nketiah has yet to open his Premier League account this season. Nevertheless, Arteta will rely on the duo to score most of the team's goals as the 2021-22 season reaches its business end.
It remains to be seen how Lacazette steps up to the challenge as the Gunners face an unprecedented striker crisis.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is all thumbs up at Barcelona. 
🚨 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is all thumbs up at Barcelona. 👍
(Source: @FCBarcelona) https://t.co/Cq5rG8Lr2t
With Lacazette and Nketiah's contracts expiring this summer, the Gunners could have a brand new strike force for next season. However, their failure to sign a replacement for Aubameyang could come back to haunt them as the sixth-placed Gunners look to finish in the UEFA Champions League places.
Arsenal are level on points with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and are two points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.