 million move Premier League giants Arsenal, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said.){kind=link}
French striker Alexandre Lacazette is set to complete a €50 (£44million) million move Premier League giants Arsenal, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said.
Earlier, Aulas had rubbished reports the French forward was in London to complete a medical at the North London club, suggesting that the Gunners were not willing to meet the asking price for Lacazette.
FootTheBall had earlier reported that Lacazette was on the brink of signing a five-year contract with Arsenal.
And now Lyon chief Aulas has confirmed that a deal for Lacazette is nearing completion, with the Gunners ready to pay a transfer fee of €50m for the French striker.
Aulas said: “The figure reported by the English media of around €67m [including €12m in add-ons] is impossible and not realistic,” “Arsenal’s first offer was around €45m, the transfer will be concluded in the range of €45m to €50m.”
As we know Wenger, he has never shown interest in spending huge cash on one player, but this time around it seems he has changed his policy after signing a new two-year deal with the Gunners.
And if he ropes in Lacazette for a mammoth £44million transfer fee – it will eclipse his record signing of Mesut Ozil, worth £42.5million.
Talking about the transfer fee, Aulas said: “Being close to €50m is something unique and will probably be a record for Arsenal and Lyon as well.”
“Knowing that, traditionally, a club like Arsenal — and this is the case for Bayern Munich also — don’t invest so much on a player.”
Wenger is also eyeing to rope in Monaco teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe, as the Frenchman is keen on lifting up the North Londoners, fifth last season, back in the title race.
Lacazette has proved his class in the last four seasons at Lyon – with a total of 113 goals to his name out of which he has netted 37 times in the 2016-17 campaign.
The 26-year-old French striker has been under the radar of Premier League clubs – with Liverpool also keen on roping in him, but he had expressed desire of a move to Atletico Madrid.
The FIFA punishment for signing under-age players saw Atletico Madrid blocked from securing the signatures of Lacazette.