Lacazette would be great striker option for Everton
Arsenal appear ready to let French striker Alexandre Lacazette leave this summer, so would he be a good option for Everton as they search for additional goalscoring threats?
This story is a little suprising given that Lacazette is a fine forward and enjoyed another solid season during the 2020-21 campaign, scoring thirteen goals. He could be just what Everton need to support Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front.
The England centre-forward had his best campaign in terms of goals last season and proved at times an almost unplayable threat, especially in the air.
However, after a blistering start to the season as he thrived on the service provided by James Rodriguez in particular, once that early momentum was disappated by injuries to key players like the Colombian, Calvert-Lewin faltered.
As the campaign went on his goal production declined considerably and despite the improvement in his awareness and movement in the box, he still misses quite a few chances.
With Cenk Tosun not good enough for the Premier League and injured, Moise Kean unhappy on Merseyside and likely to leave this summer if a proper offer comes in for him and Richarlison’s future not completely certain either, that potentially only leaves young Ellis Simms as back-up for Calvert-Lewin.
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Everton do need more goals in the team. But whether they go and sign another striker will probably be largely dependent on what happens to Kean and if he does actually leave as on balance it’s probable Richarlison will stay for another season at least.
This does create a little bit of a conundrum for Rafa Benitez. He has limited funds and several other priority positions he wants to reinforce, particularly right-back, centre-back and possibly midfield too.
But can he wait until later in the transfer window and then have to quickly find a replacement for Kean and possibly also Richarlison?
Lacazette is apparently available for a real cut-price fee of around £15 million, so it might make sense for the Blues to move now to get him and feel confident they have another quality forward if one or other of those two move on.
The French striker is quite a similar player to Danny Ings he’s experienced and a very good natural finisher who can play as a centre-forward or behind one. Again like Ings, he also works hard defensively and that is a useful bonus suiting Benitez’s desire for defensive solidity.
I’m not sure Southampton will sell Ings this summer and anyway his fee would proabably be considerably more than Lacazette, so the Arsenal man seems a very good alternative option.