“Vitally important to everything we’re doing” – Ian Wright urges Arteta to offer new contract to player ‘feeling the vibe’ at Arsenal

Former Gunners forward Ian Wright has urged Arsenal to hand Alexandre Lacazette a new contract. He feels that Lacazette is an important leader at the club.

The Frenchman, who is currently the captain at the Emirates Stadium, will see his current deal expire this summer.

Wright has urged current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta to keep Lacazette at the club.

“His position is vitally important to everything we’re doing, just look at the two assists he had,” Wright said on the Wrighty’s House podcast. “Unless we get that person, you think to yourself, ‘maybe we could give Laca another year or two’. I think Laca has got to stay around, man. You can see with his little back flick, his back heel assist, his little assist. Man is feeling the vibe.”

On Lacazette, Arteta had earlier said in February:

“We don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of the season. We don’t have contracts that run for 20 years, it’s part of our job. He behaves like someone who wants to stay with us. It was an important win for us. The way we won it creates such a belief and togetherness and an atmosphere and cohesion with our fans as well and that’s extremely necessary. This is a really young squad and we need that.”

Arsenal need a new forward next season

Regardless of Lacazette staying at the club, Arsenal will need to sign a new forward next summer. Their current list of strikers includes the Frenchman and Eddie Nketiah.

Nketiah will also see his contract expire this summer. Even if he decides to stay, Nketiah does not have enough quality to lead the frontline at the north London club.

The Gunners will want to challenge for top honors next season. They have a young team who are full of quality and have gelled well together. The club’s only problem lies at the moment in finishing chances inside the box.

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A new striker with goal-scoring potential could be the key to Arsenal winning silverware next season. Arteta recently let go of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well. Hence, wages are unlikely to be a problem to sign a big striker this summer.