Alexandre Lacazette has said that he has no intention of departing Arsenal while the club has an exciting future under boss Mikel Arteta.
After taking over from Unai Emery midway through the 2019-20 campaign, Pep Guardiola’s former assistant at Manchester City has led the Gunners to FA Cup and Community Shield glory.
While there has previously been speculation about the future of their France international forward, he has been happy to decisively push that to one side.
“I’m at Arsenal. I signed a five-year contract to improve and win titles. I’ve got two years left and I’m determined to stay,” he said to L’Equipe.
When asked if that is his final decision, he replied: “From me, yes.”
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old has insisted that he knows nothing about links to the likes of Juventus and Atletico Madrid, with reports suggesting he had been offered to the Spanish side as part of a deal to take midfielder Thomas Partey in the opposite direction.
“If it’s true, no, it’s not pleasing,” he said. “But what counts are the choices of the coach and having his confidence. It’s him who picks the team, not the directors in their offices, and I know I’ve got his confidence.”
He scotched whispers that his absence from the Community Shield win over Liverpool on penalties was due to an uncertain future.
“I was self-isolating for a fortnight,” he said. “I was in Guadeloupe when England announced new conditions and I didn’t have time to return.
“I arrived in France on the Sunday, came through Paris, and I was in London at the start of the week. But I had to do my fortnight like everyone else.”
Lacazette sang the praises of Arteta, hinting that much has changed under his stewardship.
“He’s brought some order to the club, to the squad,” he said. “He’s brought ambition in terms of what he is looking forward to doing and what he has known with what he experienced at Manchester City.
“But it’s not a change that can be done in six months because it’s a long process, but yes, it’s happening.
“Our results after the restart and the victory in the FA Cup proved that we can compete, even if we were playing different football. It did the squad a lot of good.”
Arsenal begin their Premier League campaign on Saturday against Fulham.
