Arsenal have confirmed that Alexandre Lacazette will be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.
The 31-year-old arrived at the Emirates for a fee of £44.7m in the summer of 2017 and has gone on to make 206 appearances for the North London club in all competitions.
Lacazette has scored 71 goals and provided 36 assists for the Gunners in that time, working under Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery, Freddie Ljungberg and Mikel Arteta over the past five years.
However, Lacazette fell down the pecking order at the club in the 2021-22 season, and the five-year deal he signed upon his arrival is set to expire at the end of the month.
The former Lyon man was always expected to head for the exit door, and Arsenal have now confirmed Lacazette’s departure while also paying tribute to the club captain.
Speaking to arsenal.com, Arteta hailed Lacazette as a “real leader” for the Gunners after handing the Frenchman the armband following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s acrimonious exit for Barcelona.
“Laca has been a fantastic player for us. He’s been a real leader on and off the pitch and has been a very important influence to our younger players,” Arteta said.