“Laca has been a fantastic player for us. He’s been a real leader on and off the pitch and has been a very important influence to our younger players,” Arteta said.
"His commitment with us has been exceptional and we wish him and his family success and happiness.”
(Image credit: Getty)
The France international’s departure doesn’t come as a great surprise.
He mustered just four goals in 30 Premier League games in 2021/22, a considerable drop-off after hitting double figures in each of the last four seasons since his arrival from Lyon in 2017.
Lacazette discussed his future openly last month, hinting that a return to Lyon could be on the cards.
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However, his former club's eighth-place finish in Ligue 1 – and therefore failure to qualify for Europe – could be a blow to their chances of bringing him back.
(Image credit: Getty)
"I'm in discussion with a lot of clubs, I'm open," Lacazette told Canal Plusin April.
"I never cut contact with Lyon since I left. Now Lyon know that I'm free, they've come by the information.
"It's a bit more complicated. I want to play in Europe. It's been a long time since I've played in the Champions League, I miss it. Nothing is impossible in life, but it's a bit more complicated."
For any teams looking to bolster their attacking options ahead of a Champions League campaign next year, they could do a lot worse than make a move for the free agent.
Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.
