Lacazette completes Arsenal move.PHOTO/Sky Sports
LONDON, United Kingdom, Jul 5 – Arsenal have completed the signing of France striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon for a club record Sh6.2 b (£46.5m) fee on a five-year deal.
The fee – up to £52.6m with add-ons – will surpass the £42.4m Arsenal paid Real Madrid for Mesut Ozil in 2013.
“He has very interesting technical qualities and a strong character,” said Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.
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.
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.
Wenger added: “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.
“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 for Sport.
Last week Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis promised fans “top-quality” summer signings 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.
-By BBC-
