Arsenal’s January plan shows they may already have Lacazette’s replacement
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Arsenal may already have a ready-made replacement for Alexandre Lacazette at the club in the form of Gabriel Martinelli.
Lacazette was put in the shop window over the summer, but after failing to secure a move the Frenchman is expected to leave in January.
And the 30-year-old's contract is up next summer, but Arsenal may not have to dip their toes into the transfer market.
Martinelli has struggled for game time this season, however, Lacazette's departure could provide him with an opportunity to make his mark.
And Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Martinelli will not be loaned out in January.
“No, I’m very happy with him [Martinelli] and we aren’t thinking about anything like that," Arteta confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
"He had some games that he played, he started against Brentford and he started against Chelsea as well.
“Unfortunately he got injured last week, it is a minor injury but we don’t know if he is going to be available for Monday.
"But we have a lot of trust with Gabby and we need to find the right space for him to grow within the squad.
“If you look at the number of games that he’s played obviously the injuries that he suffered have been big setbacks on that with him."
Do you think Martinelli could be a perfect Lacazette replacement? Let us know in the comments section
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Arteta continued: "We sometimes forget his age, what he’s done and where he is and we need to try to help him as well to maintain that balance.
"Because you can generate frustration that comes out of, in my opinion, an unrealistic diagnosis and you need time to do that."
Martinelli has made four appearances so far this season, two in the Premier League and two in the Carabao Cup, where he was able to find the net.
- Premier League
- Arsenal FC
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