Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised Alexandre Lacazette for not allowing the uncertainty over his future to impact his performances, but will not discuss a new deal for the Frenchman until the end of the season.
The 30-year-old has entered the final six months of his current deal and has been heavily linked with a return to former employers Lyon when his contract expires in the summer.
Ahead of Thursday’s 2-1 victory over Wolves, Arteta confessed there are no plans to open immediate talks with Lacazette about his future, with the club instead preferring to wait until the end of the season.
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90min reported earlier this month that Arsenal are not planning to offer Lacazette a new deal at this time, despite his representatives making it clear that the 30-year-old is interested in extending his stay at the Emirates.
After his role in the winning goal on Thursday – a deflected strike from the Frenchman which has gone down as a Jose Sa own goal – Arteta praised Lacazette’s attitude and willingness to fight for the club amid such uncertainty over his future.
“When I see our striker in the 85th minute, chasing a full-back in the corner flag, winning the ball back, playing, going, fighting, missing one chance, missing two chances, going again. What can I do?
“I can only praise him and try to help him as much as possible and give him support. At the end he got the reward. For me, it’s Lacazette’s goal.
“We don’t know what is going to happen at the end of the season. What he needs to do is put aside that future. It is part of our game, we don’t have contracts that run for 20 years. That’s part of our job and we have to be conscious of that.
“There’s nothing to tell him but to praise him, because every single day he behaves like someone that wants to stay with us.”
