Alexandre Lacazette will reportedly cost £42 million this summer for any club looking to prise him away from Lyon, while Arsenal have reportedly been in touch with Inter Milan regarding Mauro Icardi.

According to Get French Football News, the Ligue 1 outfit want a deal totalling €60 million for Lacazette, but Arsenal have put their interest in him “to one side” for the time being because of the price tag. French outlet Le Progres (h/t Jack de Menezes of the Independent) gave the same valuation but have reported the Gunners could be prepared to match the £42 million Lyon want.

Meanwhile, per Italian outlet Corriere della Sera (h/t De Menezes), Icardi’s wife and agent Wanda Nara listed Arsenal among the teams interested in him but made clear their aim was to stay put:

We want to stay in Milan. People say I am a mercenary, but I am not. [Inter] have to say the truth. They can’t say Icardi is not for sale and then talk to other clubs.

[…]

There are many offers, but I do not negotiate with other clubs. I only talk about Mauro’s contract, that’s my role, not doing negotiations. Atletico Madrid, Tottenham [Hotspur] and Arsenal have made contact. Napoli and Roma are also interested now.

The Gunners are in need of a clinical striker who can share the weight of goalscoring responsibilities with Oliver Giroud, who is a strong option as a squad player but not ruthless enough to fire Arsenal to the title on his own.

Lacazette and Icardi are certainly clinical, per WhoScored.com:

Here is how the trio’s numbers compare from last season, per Squawka:

Icardi is a potent finisher and deadly in the area thanks to his almost unrivalled finishing ability and clever movement, which makes up for the fact he’s not exceptionally quick.

Lacazette, meanwhile, has pace to burn and the dribbling skills to match. The Frenchman is far more dangerous than the Argentinian or his compatriot when the ball is at his feet and he’s charging at defenders.

BT Sport’s Julien Laurens is a fan of Lacazette, while Bleacher Report UK’s Adam Digby believes Icardi could be worth pursuing:

Either would make Arsenal a far more dangerous proposition next season and provide a much-needed boost to their title chances.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will most likely have to dip into his pockets to land a striker as talented as the pair this summer, but if Arsenal are to end their hunt for the Premier League title, it needs to be done.

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