06 January 2023 , 18:09
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Alexandre Lacazette left Arsenal to return to Ligue 1 outfit Lyon in the summer - but it appears he may have made a mistake.
That is at least according to an exchange he had with his old Gunners colleague Rob Holding, who has since revealed that Lacazette told him that the "grass isn't always greener elsewhere". The comments may come as a surprise to the Lyon faithful, especially after Lacazette has enjoyed a decent enough start to his second stint at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
The 31-year-old forward has netted an impressive 10 goals and registered four assists in just 17 Ligue 1 games this term, yet he may still be longing for his old stomping ground if his comments are anything to go by.
Speaking to Arsenal's official website, Holding revealed that he had recently been in communication with Lacazette after the pair crossed paths when the Gunners faced Lyon in a mid-season friendly tournament out in Dubai.
"Yes I saw Laca a couple of weeks ago," Holding explained, "And we spoke about what it's like there compared to Arsenal. Lyon's his home club of course, and he knows it really well, but he was telling me how much he loved his time at Arsenal.
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"Actually a couple of months ago he texted me to tell me to enjoy my time at Arsenal because it's a step above everywhere else.
Alexandre Lacazette has impressed for Lyon this season (Leandro Amorim/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Did Lacazette make a mistake by leaving Arsenal? Comment below
"He said to me to stay at the club if you can because the grass isn't always greener elsewhere, and to enjoy being at a club like Arsenal. It was really nice to hear that from someone at a different club."
Lacazette's comments are certainly open for interpretation, with many Gunners fans speculating over whether he is hinting at his own regrets after his five-year spell as an Arsenal player came to an end last summer.
This is certainly a drastically different Gunners' side to the one Lacazette left, with the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko playing crucial roles in Mikel Arteta's side rising to the top of the Premier League with a five-point advantage over champions and nearest challengers Manchester City.
With Jesus sustaining an injury during the World Cup that required surgery and a three-month spell on the sidelines, there's every chance Lacazette is looking at this high-flying Arsenal side and realising it could have been him deputising for the new talismanic forward rather than Eddie Nketiah.
Of course, that chance is now long gone with Arteta's focus firmly on building an Arsenal for the future as he aims to win the league with the youngest squad in the division.
Unfortunately for Lacazette, he is a figure firmly in Arsenal's past.