Arsenal made a bold statement in the transfer market on Wednesday.
The club made official the signing of Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette. Terms of the transfer fee and contract were undisclosed by the club but reports in England and France claim that Arsenal is paying a $68 million transfer fee, a new club record, while Lacazette could earn around $12.5 million per season in salary on a reported five-year contract.
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Finally, it’s the news you’ve all been waiting for#LacaNewSigninghttps://t.co/hChokRNpc1
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 5, 2017
Lacazette is set to travel with Arsenal’s squad this weekend ahead of a pair of friendly matches in Sydney, Australia next week.
“We are very happy to have Alexandre join our group,” Arsene Wenger said in a statement. “He has shown over a number of years that he can score goals and that he is a very efficient finisher. As well, 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.”
The 26-year-old Frenchman provides Arsenal with a top-quality striker up top to play along with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, both of whom have been rumored to be heading away from the Emirates Stadium this summer. Lacazette scored 28 goals in 30 Ligue 1 games last season and has scored more than 100 during his time at Lyon.
The signing is a big boost to Arsenal, especially as it’s been reported that Lacazette had originally agreed to move to Atletico Madrid this summer until the Court of Arbitration and Sport upheld FIFA’s transfer ban on the club.
86 - Alexandre Lacazette scored every 86 mins last season, the 3rd best rate for a player in the top 5 leagues (min 10 goals). Firepower pic.twitter.com/peHwG360Bj
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 5, 2017