Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette is currently not close to signing a new contract with the club and is weighing up his options, according to Football.London correspondent James Benge.

Answering questions in a Q&A for the website, Benge revealed that the Frenchman was the subject of interest from Barcelona last summer, and the Gunners will have to qualify for the Champions League to ensure he stays:

“There are rumours that he would like to see what sort of market is out there for him. He will have noted the interest in him from Barcelona and could be keen to see whether another striker merry-go-round next summer opens up a slot at a Champions League contender. At that stage, he will have two years left on his deal.”

Lacazette’s current deal expires in 2022 so Arsenal do have time on their side in negotiations to ensure that the 28-year-old signs on the dotted line.

The Gunners will, though, be wary of letting talks go on for too long. The London club have let too many stars run down their contracts in recent years, and they have vowed to make sure that players are tied dowm to new deals well before they reach their last twelve months.

Lacazette will certainly be a priority considering his importance to the side. The striker has scored two goals in three games so far this campaign.