Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette is set to complete his transfer to Arsenal this week.
Lacazette had a sensational season in Ligue 1 last year and Arsenal will be delighted to have secured his services. The Gunners have not had a striker of his quality since the departure of Robin Van Persie.
The French club’s President, Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed that the move should be finalised in ‘one or two days’.
Aulas also confirmed that the 26-year-old will cost around £43m. Once the deal is completed, Lacazette is likely to become Arsenal’s club record signing eclipsing the £42m they paid Real Madrid for Mesut Ozil in the summer of 2013.
Aulas said: “The transfer [fee] will be between €45million and €50m. Being close to €50m is unique, and will probably be a record for Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais as well. We will probably reach a new record, it’s not a small transfer, €50m for a player trained by our club.”
Lacazette would add some much-needed pace and flair up front. The French international is also a very good finisher and would be a considerable upgrade on Olivier Giroud.
He has scored 37 goals in 45 games for Lyon last season. The 26-year-old has bagged a total of 113 goals in his last four seasons.
It will be interesting to see if the Gunners can hold on to Alexis Sanchez now. The Chilean has not signed a new deal yet and could still leave the club this summer.
Arsenal will be hoping to challenge for the title next season and signing Lacazette is a step in the right direction for them. However, they cannot afford to lose their best player despite the incomings.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
