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Atletico Madrid 'willing to offer Arsenal three stars' for Alexandre Lacazette swap deal

Gossip & Rumours

By Mirror | Aug 27, 2020

Premier League - Arsenal v Liverpool - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - July 15, 2020 Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette scores their first goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) [Shaun Botterill/Pool via REUTERS]

Lacazette has been in and out of the Arsenal side under Mikel Arteta and could be sold to raise transfer funds while Atletico are keen on taking the player to Spain

Atletico Madrid are reportedly prepared to offer one of three players to Arsenal in part-exchange for forward Alexandre Lacazette.

The La Liga giants are interested in signing the Frenchman this summer but financing a straight cash deal could prove difficult.

Arsenal are keen on landing Atletico midfielder Thomas Partey but he is not one of the players Diego Simeone is willing to let go in order to bring Lacazette to the club.

Instead, according to Marca , Atletico will try and tempt Arsenal into a player-plus-cash deal by offering any of Thomas Lemar, Angel Correa or Vitolo as part of a swap.

Lemar has been monitored by Arsenal previously and The Gunners almost signed the winger in the summer of 2017.

The 24-year-old has struggled this season though as he failed to record a single goal or assist in 29 appearances.

Tottenham's Serge Aurier tackles Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette, left, during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Sunday, July 12, 2020. (Tim Goode/Pool via AP)

Both Correa and Vitolo play in a similar forward role as Lemar and would perhaps be more attractive options to Arteta.

Correa, 25, bagged seven times for Atleti last season, while Vitolo, 30, scored on just three occasions.

Arsenal rejected the offer back in January though and are under no pressure to sell Lacazette, who still has just under two years remaining on his current contract.

But the 29-year-old has been in and out of the side since Mikel Arteta's appointment as manager and this summer could represent their best chance of selling him for a sizeable fee.

And his path out of the club could be sealed once captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang puts pen to paper on a new three-year deal as expected in the coming weeks.

Atletico could yet turn their attentions elsewhere though if Arsenal attempt to play hardball over Lacazette.

Either Diego Costa or Alvaro Morata could be offloaded to boost Atletico's transfer kitty and open up a wider range of options.