ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE has a deal with Arsenal that will allow him to quit the club this summer if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
The French forward, 28, has just over two years left on his current contract at the Emirates having joined in a 52million deal from Lyon in 2017.
But The Times says he will be allowed to leave the Gunners should they fail to break back into Europe’s top competition for 2020-21.
Arsenal currently sit ninth in the Premier League, seven points adrift of fourth place – and a staggering 42 points behind league-leaders Liverpool.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side are unbeaten so far in 2020 and have seen their Champions League hopes given a major boost.
Manchester City have been banned from all European competition for two years thanks to breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.
That means the team finishing fifth in the Premier League this term are set to bag the final Champions League spot, with the Gunners just four points adrift.
Arsenal can also qualify for Europe’s top table in 2020-21 should they win the Europa League.
The Gunners take on Olympiacos in the last-16 leading 1-0 from the first-leg, with the second half of the tie to be played on Thursday at the Emirates.
So there is still plenty of scope for Arsenal to secure a Champions League berth for next season.
But if not, it’s expected Lacazette will quit the club, with Arsenal now turning their attention to tying down Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to a new deal.
Aubameyang, 30, is the joint-top-scorer in the Premier League this term with 17 goals – with his current contract expiring at the end of next season.
Eddie Nketiah, 20, is also back at the club after his loan stint at Leeds – and has already scored twice, including in last weekend’s 3-2 win over Everton.
