Arteta praises Lacazette and says the club will hold contract talks with the player

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised Alexandre Lacazette and insisted that the club will hold contract talks with the player, according to the Mirror.

Lacazette has been in good form recently for the Gunners and has played a key role in helping them go on a seven-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League. In that period, he has scored five goals and provided one assist. This season, the Frenchman has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 25 appearances across all competitions.

Since signing for the North London club in the summer of 2017, the former Lyon striker has been inconsistent in front of goal and failed to live up to his potential.

His most successful season in England in terms of scoring goals saw him finish with 14 Premier League goals to his name in his debut season in English football. Lacazette has not developed into the goal machine that many Gooners thought he would be since moving to the Emirates.

The Frenchman will have one year remaining on his contract this summer and it has been widely expected that he will leave the club. It must be noted, however, that Lacazette has developed his hold-up play, work rate and ability to link up with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe and these traits have proven to be crucial to this Arsenal side. 

On top of this, he is enjoying a strong season which is likely to see him break his own record for goals scored in the Premier League. Could Lacazette’s upturn in form lead to a new contract? 

Arteta has cited his increased confidence as one of the main factors for his strong showings this season. On Lacazette’s improved form, manager Mikel Arteta said:

“The moment he transformed a little bit his confidence, he became a different player.”

“I think it is linked to confidence, and that is linked to playing more regular minutes and scoring more goals. He finds himself in better form. And then it is about supporting our players.”

“A lot of things relate to the game, things he needs to read better about his movement, sometimes about his body language. A lot of things are important to visually see yourself and then you try to correct them.”

“We will talk certainly about his contract situation. At the moment what I want is that he keeps performing the way he is at the moment until the end of the season and then it will be the right time to talk about it.”