Arsenal have completed the
signing of France striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon for a club record
£46.5m fee on a five-year deal. The fee which is up to £52.6m with add-ons will surpass the £42.4m
Arsenal paid Real Madrid for Mesut Ozil in 2013.
"Arsenal are the club that plays the best football in
England so I really wanted to come here," said Lacazette.
The 26-year-old is expected to travel with the squad this
weekend for two friendly matches in Sydney next week. Those games will be followed by a match against Bayern
Munich in Shanghai the following week.
The player added: "Throughout my childhood and thanks
to Arsenal's former striker Thierry Henry and other French players, I always
dreamed of playing for this club so that dream has been fulfilled.
"I like clubs with a history and the fact that the
manager has been here for a while shows that it is a stable club. There are
quite a few French players at the club which will make it easy to settle
in."
Lacazette, who has won 11 caps for France, was the
second-highest scorer in Ligue 1 last season with 28 goals. He netted 129 goals
in 275 matches in all competitions for Lyon after breaking into the first team
in the 2009-10 campaign.
His league tally last season was bettered by only Paris
St-Germain's Edinson Cavani, with 35.
Manager Arsene Wenger said: "We are very happy to
have Alexandre join our group. He has shown over a number of years that he can
score goals and that he is a very efficient finisher.
"He has very interesting technical qualities and a
strong character. So he is a guy who is a great addition for us, and someone
who will help us challenge at the top level this season."
Lacazette has been linked with several top clubs and
looked set to join Atletico Madrid before their transfer ban was upheld by the court of arbitration
Last week Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis promised
fans "top quality" summer signing during
a question-and-answer session.
Left-back Sead Kolasinac, who joined from Schalke, is
Arsenal's other recruit since the end of last season.
French football journalist Julien Laurens said on BBC Radio 5 live
I think it is a very good signing for many reasons. Not
just for spending the money but he is 26. The first time Arsenal scout Gilles
Grimandi went to watch him was 10 years ago and already then Arsene Wenger had
an interest in him.
They have looked at him so many times, year after year and were
not always convinced. Sometimes he was 'yes', sometimes it was 'give him a bit
of time'. On this occasion, Wenger is convinced it is the right time for him.
Lacazette has matured and improved massively.
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