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Arsenal supporters will have grown a little tired of 'will he, won't he' contract sagas by now, with painful memories of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – to name just a few – proving difficult to shake.
The Gunners face more extension posers in the present, with three senior stars set to see their respective deals come to a close in the summer of 2022.
Mikel Arteta could do without such distractions right now, with confidence building again at Emirates Stadium as they are in pole position to take the last Champions League spot and are priced as low as 4/9 in the football betting online markets to achieve this, with their rivals all appearing to lack the required consistency.
Having been without continental competition entirely for 2021-22, dreams are being rekindled of gracing an elite European stage once more. In order for that line to be crossed, everybody – on and off the field – will need to pull in the same direction.
Captain Laca 😁 pic.twitter.com/jMtPzY4dEX
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 10, 2022
Questions are, however, being asked of how long certain individuals will be sticking around in north London. The most notable name on that list is Alexandre Lacazette, as there will not be too many tears shed if Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny walk away for nothing.
The French forward would be worth retaining, given his vast experience and track record, but there are no guarantees that a man that fills the captain's armband on a regular basis will be staying put.
Stay or go?
The official line coming out of the Arsenal camp is that nothing has been decided yet and anything could still happen in talks regarding fresh terms.Arteta has mastered the art of batting away endless questions on the subject, with the Spanish coach perfecting a transfer poker face that sees him give little away. One of his latest musings on the subject of Lacazette has been: "There's nothing to tell him but to praise him because every single day he behaves like someone that wants to stay with us."
If that were truly the case then paperwork would surely have been signed by now.
Everyone connected with a long-running story has known for several months that a free agency pool beckons. It could easily be argued that Lacazette has gone a lot further than merely dipping his toe into that water.
Proud to be a part of that 🔴♣️ pic.twitter.com/sqj3hsiwQY
— Alexandre Lacazette (@LacazetteAlex) March 6, 2022
He could have ended a tiresome debate at any point, but has chosen not to do so and continues to be linked with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Juventus as a result. Nobody can query his ongoing commitment to the Arsenal cause, as he continues to give his all, but there will come a time when heads are turned.
In truth, that day has probably already passed, with Arteta merely paying lip service to assembled journalists when constantly probed on a matter that he can do little about.
He will continue to claim on a regular basis that Lacazette could still form part of his plans in 2022-23, but is anybody really listening and would it not be better for all concerned – including fans that know how these stories tend to end – for someone to make a definitive decision?
