Arsenal “remain in the market” for further additions to their squad amid rumours that Alexandre Lacazette has requested to leave Lyon this summer. The France striker’s agent refused to be drawn on speculation that he could be on the way to the Premier League.
Arsenal completed the purchase of the Bolton defender Rob Holding on Friday – the third addition to Arsène Wenger’s squad this summer following Granit Xhaka and the Japan striker Takuma Asano. Holding, who was part of the England Under-21 squad which won the Toulon tournament in the summer, was confirmed to have signed a long-term contract at the Emirates for a fee of about £2m.
Arsenal’s statement rounded off with the message: “We remain in the market, so stay close to Arsenal.com for any further transfer news,” leading to speculation among supporters that Lacazette could be on his way to the Emirates.
However, when contacted by the Guardian, the 25-year-old’s agent refused to confirm reports in France that his client has told Lyon he wants to leave the club. “We can not comment on the information that can appear in the press,” David Venditelli said in an email. “We have decided with the player not to say anything at this time.”
Lacazette, who scored 48 goals in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons but was not selected for France’s Euro 2016 squad, has also been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. It is expected that Lyon will demand a €50m (£42m) fee.
Earlier on Friday, the Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, said he believes the club now have a squad good enough to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004 without spending big money on transfers.
“This approach, for us, gives us a very, very powerful balance because it’s not just about spending money but about how you spend your money and doing it wisely,” Gazidis told ESPN.
“It’s about having a strong core philosophy and values within the club that players buy into and fans can be proud of.
“These are all things that lead to success, and when you look at Arsenal over the last four or five years, there’s no question that the squad has been progressing in strength.
“We’ve got a squad now that we believe is capable of competing to win the Premier League. We came in second last year, which was disappointing. But we’re on the right track.”