Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger set to make improved £35million bid for Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette
Gunners chief set to test Ligue 1 side's resolve with fresh offer having previously failed with a bid of £29.5m for French striker
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ARSENE WENGER is set to test Lyon's resolve with an improved bid of £35million for star striker Alexandre Lacazette.
The Arsenal boss failed in a £29.5m bid for the French forward earlier this week, with Ligue 1 side claiming he was not for sale at any price.
Yet Wenger is keen to put that assertion under the microscope as he readies himself to launch a counter-bid of £35m.
Having already failed in his attempts this summer to land major striking targets - including Jamie Vardy who decided to stay true to Premier League champions Leicester, Alvaro Morata and Gonzalo Higuain - the Emirates boss is getting desperate in his bid to bolster his forward ranks.
Currently Wenger only has Olivier Giroud, Chuba Akpom and Yaya Sanogo as out-and-out strikers in his squad, with Danny Welbeck injured and players such as Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi and Joel Campbell preferred on the wing.
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And in a move far out of Wenger's comfort zone, he is willing to splash the cash to land his new No1 target, despite originally saying he refused to be priced out of a move.
While both Akpom and Campbell netted in Arsenal's 2-1 win over the MLS All-Stars in San Jose, Wenger knows if he is to challenge for that elusive Premier League title, he will need more star quality up top.
Lacazette, 25, would certainly fit the bill after netting 48 goals across the past two seasons in Ligue 1.
With league rivals such as Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United bolstering their forward-line with the additions of Vincent Janssen, Michy Batshuayi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic respectively, it's no wonder Wenger is keen to dive into the market himself.
The notoriously miserly Wenger would certainly change the perception of himself from a host of Gunners fans if he manages to pull off this coup.