during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on May 10, 2017 in Madrid, Spain.

French National Team members Antoine Griezmann and Alexandre Lacazette are really the best of friends. The two forwards spent part of their summer vacation in the United States and it seems that Lacazette spent little time trying to get his friend to the team he signed for.

Lacazette said, “Our nicknames for each other are Griezzy and Lacaz. If Griezzy visits me in London, I’m going to ask him to sign for Arsenal!”

Griezmann has been open to moving from Atletico Madrid. He was almost headed to Manchester United before deciding to stay at Atletico. But we’re not looking at this deep enough. Honestly, if Lacazette was a true friend, he wouldn’t be telling Griezmann to go to Arsenal.

I’m sure that since Lacazette just got there, he is very high on Arsenal. And Arsenal has seemingly solved their beginning of season struggles by going unbeaten in their last four matches, including three wins.

But that doesn’t mask that Arsenal is in a situation where their future is unknown and Arsene Wenger is manager. And once he retires, because I doubt he’s getting fired, Arsenal will need adjust with a new manager and new philosophy and nobody has any idea when that happens.

Griezmann is talented enough that he can choose whatever team he wants and most teams would be more than willing to pony up the cash to sign him. Which leads into another issue. Even if we know what will happen with Wenger and get a detailed plan as to a process of succession, that doesn’t mean owner Stan Kroenke will be willing to spend the kind of money to sign him. If Lacazette went for £46 million, Griezmann will probably go for double that.

If I’m Griezmann, I go to a team who is going to offer trophies and money. And I just can’t see Arsenal providing either. Griezmann had been considering Manchester United and I’m sure they would be interested. Manchester City would be a great place but they’re kind of stacked at the striker position.

Alexandre Lacazette is looking to have his friend join Arsenal and yeah that would be fun, but I’m not sure that would be best for Antoine Griezmann’s career if he were to go to Arsenal. If Lacazette were actually his best friend, he’d tell him to go somewhere else.

[The Telegraph]

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.

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