Arsenal will make a final offer to Lyon for their forward Alexandre Lacazette, with their opening game against Liverpool just two weeks away.

That’s according to The Independent via the Telegraph, who claim that the Gunners are ready to offer the French club £35m to part with their star man.

Arsenal are said to have angered Lyon with their insufficient £29.3m offer for the France international earlier this month in what was a bid that was £3 million short of West Ham United’s offer for Lacazette in June.

Lyon then decided to publish details of Arsenal’s offer for their forward and publicly declared that Lacazette is ‘irreplaceable’ and that they had no intention of selling him.

Arsene Wenger will be hoping that the Gunners’ final offer will be enough to persuade Lyon to allow Lacazette to leave France for England.

Danny Welbeck’s long-term injury and Olivier Giroud’s fitness rule both out of the clash against Liverpool, and Wenger has told Arsenal fans that the club are in need of an experienced forward.

If Lacazette fails to arrive at the Emirates, Chupa Akpom could get the nod for the encounter on August 14. Akpom scored the winner in the 2-1 victory against MLS All-Stars last week and has generally impressed during pre-season.

However, his inexperience may force Wenger’s hand into signing a forward before the new season, with Lacazette the evident number 1 target now.

Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez had demanded a new £100,000 a week contract with Leicester in order to stay at the King Power.

The Daily Mail claim that talks are ongoing between Mahrez, his representatives and Leicester officials over said new contract.

If Mahrez is unable to come to an agreement with the Foxes, a £35m transfer to Arsenal could certainly await.

Callum Connolly, Pundit Arena.