Alexandre Lacazette backed to do Lyon proud in England after completing £52m Arsenal move

James Benge6 July 2017

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has backed new Arsenal signing Alexandre Lacazette to do his former club proud in the Premier League.

Lacazette completed a club record move to the Emirates on Tuesday for an initial £45million fee that could subsequently rise to £52.7m.

The 26-year-old departs Lyon as the fourth-highest scorer in the club's history, with 129 goals to his name in 275 appearances between 2009 and 2017.

In a statement on the Lyon website confirming Lacazette's departure Aulas said: "I am very happy with the success of Alexandre who, besides being one of the best strikers that Olympique Lyonnais has known, is a charming player to whom I became very close and who became a very responsible and ambitious man who will carry the image of the OL in the Premier League."

​Lacazette had been bound for Atletico Madrid earlier in the transfer window before a transfer ban lasting until January was upheld and Aulas looked to leverage interest from the Spanish giants to drive up the striker's price tag towards £57m.

Ultimately the Lyon president could content that he had been largely successful, with an initial deal worth around £45m with £7m in add-ons.

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That could add up to over £20m more than Arsenal offered for Lacazette last summer but Arsene Wenger is happy to have got his man no matter the price tag.

"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," Wenger said.

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"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.”

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