Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed the club will not conduct talks with striker Alexandre Lacazette until the end of the current season.
Lacazette signed for Arsenal from Lyon in the summer of 2017 for a reported fee of £46m. The Frenchman is currently the club’s captain following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had been stripped of the captaincy before he left for Barcelona.
Speaking to the media, Arteta said he believes contract talks should wait until the off-season.
“There is a chance (Lacazette signs a new deal), but we have decisions to make on three or four players in regards to the summer,” he said ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Wolverhampton on Thursday night.
“Starting those conversations right now, I don’t think is the right way. We have spoken to all the players, what to expect, the freedom that they have because the contracts allow them to make any decisions, and with our position there.”
“That’s what we are going to do. At the end of the season, we will sit down and decide what’s the best for all the parties.”
The 30-year-old’s current five-year deal with the north London side is set to expire in the summer.
See also: Lyon president reveals Lacazette plans at the end of the season
