Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has confirmed that he will consider potential offers from other clubs when the January transfer window opens.

The Frenchman, who was dropped for today’s game against Newcastle, says he will keep his focus on the Gunners until the New Year when he will then weigh up his options:

“Obviously, my agents are starting to look around a bit. But not before January; I really want to focus on something. After that, we’ll see what’s on offer, if the challenges are interesting, if there are good projects, how I’m expected to perform… There are still a lot of questions; I prefer to wait until January to really position myself.”

Lacazette may simply be talking about signing a pre-contract agreement but, with Arsenal unlikely to be keen on allowing him to leave on a free transfer next summer, there is also the possibility that he will be sold.

Manager Mikel Arteta has said that discussions over a new deal are expected to happen at the end of the season but that is clearly not how Lacazette sees things.

The main bone of contention is the length of the contract extension. The 30-year-old wants to secure his long-term future but the Gunners are seemingly unwilling to give him such assurances. A departure from the Emirates now looks very likely.