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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Freddie Keighley

Alexandre Lacazette reaches out to bullied Arsenal fan with touching gesture

Arsenal ace Alexandre Lacazette has shown his class by contacting the mother of a fan who has been the victim of "relentless" bullying.

The Frenchman, 30, is a popular figure among Gunners supporters even though he is out of contract this summer and appears unlikely to extend his stay.

He has scored 70 goals in 192 appearances since moving to the Emirates in a £46.5million transfer from Lyon in 2017, then a club-record fee.

As a senior figure in the squad, Lacazette has also worn the skipper's armband in recent fixtures since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped of the captaincy in mid-December.

Away from the football pitch, he has proved his leadership credentials by setting the example with a touching gesture for a fan who has suffered at the hands of bullies.

Will Arsenal miss Alexandre Lacazette if he leaves this summer? Have your say in the comments!

Alexandre Lacazette has reached out to a fan who has suffered from bullying (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Lacazette took to Twitter to reply to a mother whose Arsenal-supporting son has been subject to "relentless digs about his height" and picked on by other children.

The striker wrote that he was "really sorry" to hear about the youngster's situation and reached out to offer them an invitation to a a game.

He also declared, "Bullies will never win," as he urged the mother to check her messages for information on how to take him up on his offer.

In response to Lacazette, she said she had "no words" after receiving a "lovely" message.

The mother also vowed to take a kind-hearted Arsenal fan to the game after he promised to post her son the Martin Odegaard shirt he picked up during September's victory at Burnley.

Odegaard scored a stunning free kick against the Clarets to fire the visitors to a 1-0 win at Turf Moor before handing his shirt to the supporter after the full-time whistle.

It remains to be seen which game Lacazette will take the fortunate fans to. Arsenal have not played since they were held to a goalless draw at home to Burnley on 23 January as they were not in action over the FA Cup fourth-round weekend.

Mikel Arteta's side return to action with a trip to Wolves in the Premier League on Thursday night before another sizeable break, with their clash at Chelsea postponed due to the Blues' participation at the Club World Cup.

The Gunners are pushing for a top-four finish this season and can leapfrog Manchester United and West Ham into the Champions League spots if they win their games in hand.

However, Tottenham and Wolves are also in the race and will rise above Arsenal if they also capitalise on the extra fixtures they need to play.

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