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Liverpool legend John Barnes has urged Alexandre Lacazette to continue playing well for Arsenal despite his contract expiring in the summer as Georginio Wijnaldum did towards the end of his Reds career.
Lacazette has his deal with the Gunners expiring at the end of the season. The Frenchman, who recently revealed that he is in touch with several clubs over a transfer, is expected to leave the Emirates Stadium in the summer as things stand.
Despite his contract situation, Lacazette has been a regular for Mikel Arteta's side this term. The 30-year-old has made 32 appearances across all competitions for the north London giants, while scoring six goals and providing eight assists in the process.
Barnes has now stressed the need for Lacazette to continue adding to his tally to secure a good move in the summer. The Anfield great recalled Wijnaldum helping Liverpool finish in the Premier League top four before joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer last summer and wants the forward to do the same. He wrote in his BonusCodeBets column:
“The best way for Alexandre Lacazette to secure his future would be to continue playing well and scoring goals for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta comments about focusing on Arsenal are fair. If you look at what Georginio Wijnaldum did at Liverpool when he was leaving, he continued to play well every game right until the end."
“What happens with Lacazette will take care of itself, but what would help his future is playing well and scoring plenty for Arsenal with the right attitude. He will be going somewhere once the season ends, but he’d be off to somewhere better if he was scoring the goals for Arsenal.”
Wijnaldum played a total of 51 matches for Jurgen Klopp's side in his final season at Anfield. The Dutchman did not let his contract situation deter him from doing his best for the Merseyside-based club.
Can Arsenal's Lacazette learn from Wijnaldum's final season at Liverpool?
Wijnaldum helped Liverpool secure a top four finish in the Premier League in his final season at the club. Lacazette could do the same for the Gunners regardless of where the future lies for him.
Arteta's side currently sit fifth in the table with 57 points from 32 matches. They are level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and three points above sixth-placed Manchester United, who have played one more game.
While Lacazette has been a regular for the north London giants, he has scored just one league goal since the turn of the year. It remains to be seen if he can fire them into the UEFA Champions League this term.
