Alexandre Lacazette Headed To La Liga? Atletico Madrid Tempting Mikel Arteta With Swap-Deal Offer

Atletico Madrid will want to build up their scoring ability and a clear target in sight is Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette. The La Liga club, however, is not on a spending mood this summer so to get the Frenchman to sign a swap deal will be on the table, in which Mikel Arteta gets to pick three players.

The side of Diego Simeone is hoping to interest Arteta with Atletico players and reports said the Spaniard is indeed studying a move on Thomas Partey. The midfielder, however, is marked not for sale so the Gunners will have to pick someone else, and Simeone is reportedly offering three alternatives.

For Arteta to pick from, according to Metro, are Thomas Lemar, Angel Correa, or Vitolo. If any of the options will suit the requirements set by the Arsenal boss, the Spanish side will be able to get their hands on Lacazette, who was target signing by the club three seasons ago.

Atletico tried acquiring the 29-year-old from Lyon in 2017 but the deal fell through and Lacazette ended up signing with Arsenal, then handled by Arsene Wenger.

It is believed that Arteta intends to sell the striker this summer as the manager is set to focus his attacking game plan on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is expected to sign a new deal with Emirates. Should Aubameyang extend his stay with the Gunners, Aubameyang will likely label Lacazette as surplus to requirements.

The French forward has been deemed inconsistent in the past seasons and selling him will give Arsenal the money needed for Arteta's signing plans.

Reports have indicated that Arsenal's sight was set on Partey but the Ghana international seemed more inclined to remain in Madrid. Arteta, however, can take a second look at Lemar, who was the subject of Wenger's interest in 2017.

For the most part, Correa and Vitolo are seen as makeweights that could convince the Gunners to take up Atletico's offer.

Meanwhile, Lacazette admitted that that past season was a struggle for him, adding that his injury woes affected his game and eventually his confidence on the pitch. The striker said spending time on the sidelines made him unhappy.

"The injury hung around longer than I thought and it affected me. Afterwards, I had this period without scoring, so certainly it wasn't easy for me, but I still learned a lot this season, because mentally it was not easy," the Daily Star reported the Arsenal man as saying.

But Lacazette made clear he never doubted that he will recover his old form, stressing that what he had experience will serve him well in the future.