Alexandre Lacazette has agreed to join us Arsenal on a long-term contract, for an undisclosed fee. He is expected to travel with the tour party to Sydney this weekend and is likely to make his home debut in the Emirates Cup on July 29 or July 30. Alexandre Lacazette says he is “fulfilling a dream” by joining the Gunners – and he certainly looks right at home in Arsenal colours. The France international became Arsenal’s second summer signing when he agreed to join from Lyon – and he took part in a photoshoot at London Colney recently.
Alexandre Lacazette completed his £52.7m move to Arsenal from Lyon and said it represented the fulfilment of a childhood dream. The 26-year-old supported Lyon as a boy – he went on to play for his hometown club at first-team level for eight seasons – but, like many French players of his age, he considered Arsenal to be a reference point.
Lacazette entered the Lyon academy as a 12-year-old for the 2003-04 season – the year that Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires helped Arsenal to the Invincibles title-winning season, and it made an impression on him. He has signed a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium and he said he was further attracted by the club’s managerial stability – Arsène Wenger has been in charge since 1996 – and their style of football, which he believes is the best in England.
Lacazette will travel with the squad on Sunday for the pre-season tour of Australia and China while he will play his first home game in the club’s colours at the Emirates Cup on 29-30 July. He has become Arsenal’s record signing and he arrives on the back of three particularly prolific seasons at Lyon. Last time out, he had the best shot-conversion rate of any forward who scored 20-plus goals in Europe’s leading five divisions.