‘You can guarantee it’: Paul Merson thinks Arsenal are about to make a big ‘mistake’

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Arsenal legend Paul Merson believes the Gunners are all-but set to offer Alexandre Lacazette a new contract.

And he believes this would be a “mistake” from the Arsenal board, calling it “the easy option”.

Lacazette’s Arsenal contract expires at the end of the season.

Despite his uncertain future, Mikel Arteta has given him the captain’s armband.

Lacazette has registered two goals and five assists in Arsenal’s last nine Premier League games.

The striker also forced a late own goal on Thursday which gave the Gunners a crucial 2-1 win over Wolves.

Speaking after the game, Arteta hinted the door is open for the 30-year-old to stay if he will accept a short-term deal.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of the season,” The Guardian quotes Arteta as saying.

“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.

“I can only praise him and try to help him as much as possible. For me it’s Lacazette’s goal.”

“You’re not going to win the league with him”

Merson feels that you can now “guarantee” that Lacazette will pen a new contract at Arsenal.

However, he doesn’t think this is the right decision from the Gunners board.

Merson reckons Arsenal should be focusing on offering new contracts to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.

“Lacazette will sign a big new contract now – you can guarantee it,” Merson wrote in the Daily Star.

“They’ll be lucky if they can get one centre forward this summer, how are they going to get two if he leaves?

“It’s the easy option. It’s a mistake, but the American owners won’t mind giving him a few hundred thousand a week so they don’t have to pay millions for a replacement.

“Lacazette is a good footballer but you’re not going to win the league with him, are you?”