Arsenal reportedly still have Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus at the top of their list to replace Alexandre Lacazette in the summer transfer window.
On Friday lunchtime, the Gunners confirmed that Lacazette would depart the club at the end of his contract, bringing an end to his five-year Emirates spell.
Arsenal will therefore be left with Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun as their only attacking options for 2022-23, with the former thought to be on the verge of signing a new five-year deal at the Emirates.
At least one new striker is expected to come through the door in North London following confirmation of Lacazette's exit, especially seeing as the Gunners failed to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January.
According to The Mirror, Man City's Jesus is still the priority target for the summer window, with the Brazil international increasingly likely to leave the Premier League champions.
© Reuters
The arrivals of Erling Braut Haaland and Julian Alvarez at the Etihad would push Jesus further down the pecking order, and the 25-year-old now has less than 18 months left to run on his contract.
However, the report adds that Pep Guardiola's side are still after a fee in excess of £40m to part ways with Jesus, in spite of the fact that he could walk away for nothing in 2023.
Juventus are also understood to be interested in a swoop for Jesus, whose proposed switch to Arsenal could be slightly impacted by the Gunners' lack of Champions League football.
Jesus's 2021-22 season saw him strike 13 goals and set up 12 more in 41 appearances in all competitions, and he started 21 Premier League games en route to the title.
Meanwhile, Lacazette is understood to have agreed to re-join Lyon following his Arsenal exit, and the Frenchman has affirmed that the North London club will always be in his heart.
© Reuters
"We decided to part ways with the club taking a new direction at the end of my contract," Lacazette told arsenal.com.
"Now it is time for me to have a new experience and new adventure. It's complicated to choose one highlight over five years. So many good and bad moments but I want to keep hold of all the good moments.
"It was a pleasure to play in a club I dreamed of since I was young. I'm really happy to have played for Arsenal for five years. Once a Gunner, always a Gunner."
Manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu also hailed Lacazette's contributions since 2017, with the former adding: "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. His commitment with us has been exceptional and we wish him and his family success and happiness."
Edu said: "A big thank you to Laca from everyone at Arsenal. He's been really important for us. "He will always be part of the Arsenal family and we wish him well for everything in the future."
Lacazette scored 71 goals and provided 36 assists in 206 appearances for the Gunners but only netted twice from open play in the 2021-22 Premier League season.
