Lacazette leaves Arsenal with no contract extension on offer

May 16, 2022 Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette during the warm up before the match REUTERS

French striker Alexandre Lacazette will leave Arsenal when his contract expires this month, the Premier League club said on Friday (Jun 3), bringing the curtain down on his five-year stint with the north London side.

Signed in 2017 for a then club record 46.5 million pounds (US$58.41 million) from French side Olympique Lyonnais, Lacazette was the club's top scorer in a season twice.

But the 31-year-old lost his place in the starting lineup this season after scoring only six goals in all competitions.

"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," manager Mikel Arteta said in a statement.

Lacazette, who scored 71 goals and provided 36 assists for Arsenal in all competitions, said farewell to the club's fans in a tweet: "Once a Gunner, always a Gunner."