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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Michael Gowler

Alexandre Lacazette faces fresh Arsenal dilemma as Mikel Arteta outlines his intentions

A penny for the thoughts of Alexandre Lacazette.

It's been a rollercoaster ride of a season for Arsenal this campaign and the French forward has found himself fully immersed in the club's ups and downs.

The first few months of this term saw Arsenal's number 9 caught up in a contract stand-off, with the 30-year-old having entered the final 12 months of his current deal.

Amid reports the striker is eyeing up the security of a longer term agreement, the Gunners are believed to be keen on learning from their past mistakes and only offering him a one-year extension.

With both parties appearing intent on sticking to their guns, a deal wasn't reached and it remains that way to this day.

Alexandre Lacazette is out of contract with Arsenal in the summer and has a decision to make (Action Images via Reuters)

Since then, Lacazette's partner in crime, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, found himself exiled and subsequently offloaded after crossing Mikel Arteta and his ethos grounded on respect.

While many viewed this act as the final nail in Lacazette's coffin, with the French forward surely set to follow his close pal out of the Emirates exit door, Aubameyang's departure has in fact had the opposite effect.

In the month's since the Gabonese striker saw his Arsenal lover affair come to a bitter end, Lacazette has emerged as one of Arteta's main men.

Entrusted with the captain's armband despite the continued uncertainty surrounding his future, the forward has embraced his role as Arsenal's chief Gunner in attack and mentor to the club's young guns.

In his 11 Premier League appearances since embracing the armband, the striker has found the net twice, while more impressively laying on a further seven goals for his peers.

Two of those came in Arsenal's most recent outing at Watford - a performance in which Arteta's imprint was clear for all to see.

HAVE YOUR SAY! S hould Alexandre Lacazette extend his stay with Arsenal ? Comment below

Despite failing to get on the scoresheet himself, Lacazette was instrumental in the Vicarage Road success, playing pivotal roles in the Gunners' second and third strikes as he set up team-mates with tidy back heels and neat interplay.

The forward is clearly enjoying a new lease of life since Aubameyang's departure and his social media posts back that up.

Following the Watford win, Lacazette tweeted: "Proud to be a part of that."

The striker appears to be relishing the responsibility of captaining the club and spearheading Arteta's Arsenal project, which surely poses him with a fresh dilemma: what happens now?

Lacazette's boyhood club Lyon have openly expressed their desire to bring him home in the summer, with L'Equipe claiming talks have already been opened.

However, with Arteta evidently entrusting him, Arsenal on the ascent and Lacazette himself appearing happier than ever in North London, surely the striker will be tempted by the prospect of extending his stay - even if it is only for one more year.

Lacazette appears to be relishing his responsibilities at the club and has embracing being the spearhead of Arsenal's attack (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Thin on the ground up front, the club are expected to strengthen in attack regardless of Lacazette's decision, but given his exploits in recent months, he will undoubtedly have a role to play next season.

Arteta's intentions are clear: Lacazette is key to the club's revival and promising project going forward. But the striker's plans appear more ambiguous.

Will he stay or will he go?

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