Arsenal Announce Alexandre Lacazette Signing

Gilles Grimandi, the former Arsenal player and now French scout for the club, knows Alexandre Lacazette very well. The first time he set his eyes on the Lyon striker was 10 years ago, when Lacazette was 16 and already the star of the 2001 generation at l’OL.

Alongside the teenage forward were Clément Grenier, Yannis Tafer and Sebastien Faure; all of them were in the France youth set up. But Lacazette was at the centre of everything. Lyon born and bred, he made his debut for the OL first team not long after, as an 18 year old, realising his dream to play for his hometown.

By then, Grimandi was not the only scout to watch him play: As Lacazette’s reputation grew, so did interest in him. Arsenal and Arsène Wenger kept following him, mostly through Grimandi, and thought many times about signing him. Wenger was convinced by his talent and qualities from a very early age, but he was never fully confident that Lacazette would make a difference for the Gunners.

Until this summer, that is. In the middle of June, Wenger took 26-year-old Lacazette out for dinner in Paris. The player had just returned from international duty with France, not playing much but at least being part of the squad again.

Wenger was on a mission to convince Lacazette that Arsenal were the right club and project for him. The manager presented his plans, explained why he fitted perfectly into the team and added how much he would enjoy his football in north London. Yes, there will be no Champions League next season but the Gunners, with his help, would be back quickly in the main European competition.

Lacazette was seduced. Up to that point, he was still pondering the possibility of staying at Lyon until January and then signing for Atletico Madrid once their transfer ban was lifted. There were other clubs, including Manchester United, BvB and Liverpool, who had showed some interest. But Wenger convinced him to join Arsenal that night.

Two years after being named Ligue 1 player of the season for 2014-15, Lacazette had finally won Wenger over. 37 goals in all competitions last season, including braces in each of his last three games of the campaign, as well as 28 goals in 28 league starts and fine Europa League form all contributed to the feeling that the player had reached new heights in his development.

With goals against PSG and Monaco and in all three Europa League knockout rounds, he was performing well in big games. Further, with the exception of understandable struggles in the air — he is only five-feet-seven! — he had turned into a complete player, capable of playing as a lone striker, off the front man or even wide.

Lacazette’s all-round game has improved. He can hold the ball up much better than before, while his movement off the ball is sharper. In his last four seasons at Lyon he scored 113 goals and that is why he will become Arsenal’s most expensive player — and Lyon’s biggest sale — for a record fee of 60 million euros.

Why, you might ask, are Arsenal spending so much money on a player who is not a regular for France when they already have Olivier Giroud, who happens to be way ahead of Lacazette in the pecking order for the national team? It is a fair question but an unfair comparison.

Giroud’s record for Les Bleus is outstanding and manager Didier Deschamps believes he is the best complement to Antoine Griezmann up front in a 4-4-2 formation. It doesn’t mean that Giroud is better or worse than Lacazette, who is one of Griezmann’s best friends.

Simply, he is a different type of striker. Deschamps, like Wenger, has been skeptical about the Lyon player in the past but he also, finally, seems to have recognised his potential. Doing well at Arsenal will certainly give Lacazette more credit in Deschamps’ eyes.

It took Arsenal ten years though to sign him. Their fans will hope it was worth the wait.