Patrick Rees
A new day, a new rumour! The latest report from the Metro has suggested that Lyon’s president Jean-Michel Aulas has recently accepted that he won’t stand in the way of their 25-year-old striker Alexandre Lacazette if a club like Manchester United or Barcelona comes calling in the next summer.
But Aulas further went on to say that he would only sanction the transfer should the aforementioned clubs comes with a suitable offer, and to define suitable; it is being reported that a fee of around £60million would be enough to lure the striker away from the French Giants which, in the recent standards, isn’t a big deal for the clubs like Manchester United or Barcelona.
So in that case, should United make a move for the 25-year-old Frenchman?
Well, to be fair here, this will be a great dilemma for the manager at the helm at the Old Trafford. Right at this very moment, United are lacking a direct threat in the attacking department. In their 4-2-3-1 setup, only Ibrahimovic has been performing consistently and when the players around him are draining their veins, his form automatically deteriorate.
Furthermore, should Ibrahimovic gets a suspension or a long term injury, United will be yearning for goals as the Swede has been the sole provider for them this term and this is where Lacazette will work his trick.
Besides all of this, it is not a secret anymore that United are dearly pursuing Lacazette’s national team compatriot Antoine Griezmann and to be honest here, we do believe that the latter would be a perfect fit for the Old Trafford outfit.
Lacazette certainly has the stats to show for as he has scored 18 goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances, but it is on the grandest stage where he goes missing. Griezmann, on the other hand, has proved his worth everywhere, and even though he hasn’t scored many goals this term, his technical reading of the game is what makes him a standout performer.
Lacazette will be your target man, who will be a fox-in-the-box, but Griezmann’s versatility will allow Mourinho to shuffle his formation whenever necessary. Both possesses a flashy pace, both are a good dribbler of the ball and both have a keen eye for goal, but what makes Griezmann a worthy candidate in this debate is his link-up play with his teammate, and you can certainly imagine how an attacking trio of Mkhitaryan, Pogba and Griezmann will wreck havoc with Ibrahimovic at their disposal.
Besides everything, a fee of £60million will be a major roadblock for Mourinho. Spending this much of amount for a Lacazette will be a huge risk, but the aforesaid capital for Griezmann will be a great investment.
Just like Paul, Griezmann may take his time to adjust to the rigours of the league, but once done, he has all the required attributes to become a massive success at United.
To conclude, we personally believe that even though Lacazette has his own virtues, Griezmann will be a better and viable option for United and if they are willing to spend as much as £60million in the summer, then Griezmann will be a perfect suitor for them.
