Atletico Madrid’s transfer bad has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), meaning that they will not be allowed to sign players this summer.
Diego Simeone’s men had been targeting significant reinforcements, with Chelsea striker Diego Costa among those players eyed up, but it was Lyon attacker Alexandre Lacazette who seemed likeliest to move to Spain.
Lacazette, 26, has scored 100 Ligue 1 goals for Olympique Lyonnais since debuting for the club in 2009 and has mustered at least 20 league strikes in each of the last three seasons.
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Back in favour with France, he is regarded as one of the top talents in Le Championnat, and having announced his desire to leave his hometown club in order to test himself at another side, he is poised to be at the heart of one of European football’s great transfer storms over the course of the campaign.
Top clubs all over the continent will be scrambling for his signature, but here are the leading six candidates.
#1 Arsenal
If there is a club who should be chasing Lacazette this summer harder than anyone, it is Arsenal, although their lack of Champions League football is certainly a factor that works against them in this pursuit. Nevertheless, Arsene Wenger could use him as a supplementary player to the likes of Alexis Sanchez, or the attack could be built around him should the Chile star depart.
Lacazette is a Wenger-style player, technical and quick, yet he offers the kind of finishing power that other at the Emirates Stadium lack. The 26-year-old is just coming into his prime and he could excel in North London if given the chance – but the Gunners will have to pay a fee that may be outside of their manager’s comfort zone.
#2 Barcelona
It’s not impossible that Lacazette could still head to Spain, as Barcelona held an interest in him last summer. Barca were attracted by the striker’s ability to play across the whole of the front line, where he would have acted as a backup to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, providing the support that Paco Alcacer largely failed to do this season.
The stumbling block, however, remains the same. Lacazette wants to play regular first-team football at 26, and a move to Camp Nou would almost certainly mean spending a good deal of time on the bench. With the World Cup looming only a year away, it is unlikely that is an option that he is willing to take.
#3 Chelsea
Although Michy Batshuayi got the goal that sealed the Premier League title for Chelsea, there is still some scepticism over his long-term suitability for the English champions. Beyond Diego Costa, who now looks likely to remain at Stamford Bridge, the Blues do not have a great deal of depth in the centre forward position.
Next term they will have the additional burden of Champions League football and Lacazette would appear to be a solid addition to their roster, although he is perhaps not quite creative enough to feature in the 3-4-2-1 formation the Italian prefers. With club-mate Corentin Tolisso in talks about a move to the Blues and Bertrand Traore set to move the other way, it would be surprising if Lacazette’s name was not mentioned in talks.
#4 Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp has led Liverpool back to the Champions League and Lacazette could offer a good option to the Anfield club. His pace is well suited to their attacking style and the Reds do not have a truly consistent scorer anywhere in their ranks. Indeed, their top marksman last season was Philippe Coutinho with 14 goals in all competitions.
With Daniel Sturridge injury prone and possibly heading out the door, Lacazette could be the answer to their problems. He has proven himself in the Champions League previously, something few of the squad can say, and he has the quality to become the Reds’ best forward since Luis Suarez departed for Barcelona in 2014.
#5 Manchester United
With Atletico Madrid now unable to sign players, it makes it all the likelier that Antoine Griezmann’s move to Manchester United will be off. The France international had been on the verge of moving to the Old Trafford club, but the transfer ban means that Atleti’s inability to replace him will likely see them choose to retain their ace for another year.
Lacazette is able to perform in a similar manner to his compatriot, and while he might not be of quite the same quality, he could undertake the same roles, whether Jose Mourinho wishes to play with a 4-2-3-1 system next season or even switch to a 4-3-3, as is being speculated. United, though, are chasing more of a physical No.9, with Romelu Lukaku a potential option.
#6 Paris Saint-Germain
Should Lacazette stay in France, there is a chance he could move north to the capital. Paris Saint-Germain are known to want offensive reinforcements, having been overly reliant on Edinson Cavani last season, and with Unai Emery liable to play more of a 4-2-3-1 formation next season, his versatility would once again be a prized asset for the Ligue 1 runners-up.
He is not, however, their first choice. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continues to be the man most coveted by the Parc des Princes side, and good progress has been made towards his acquisition. Alexis Sanchez is another possibility to arrive in the French capital. Meanwhile, there are other good options in Paris, though if Angel Di Maria and Lucas Moura were to depart, which is not impossible, he would suddenly become an excellent option.
