Lyon re-sign Lacazette from Arsenal on free transfer

Lacazette
moved
from
Lyon
to
Arsenal
in
2017
for
an
initial
€60million
(£51.3m)
fee
on
a
five-year
contract,
which
comes
to
its
end
in
June.

The
31-year-old
previously
suggested
he
would
be
open
to
re-signing
for
Lyon,
adding
in
April
he
was
in
discussion
with
“many
clubs”.

Lyon
president
Jean-Michel
Aulas
responded
by
stating
“if
we
need
to
make
compromises
to
get
[Lacazette],
we
will”,
while
director
of
football
Vincent
Ponsot
outlined
his
desire
to
bring
the
forward
back
home.

And
Peter
Bosz’s
team,
who
finished
eighth
in
Ligue
1
this
season,
have
managed
to
seal
the
France
international’s
return
to
his
boyhood
club,
announcing
on
Thursday
that
Lacazette
has
signed
three-year
deal.

“Olympique
Lyonnais
are
very
proud
and
very
happy
to
announce
the
return
to
the
club
of
its
striker,
trained
at
OL,
Alexandre
Lacazette
for
the
next
three
seasons,”
a
statement
read.

“At
the
end
of
the
contract
with
the
English
club
Arsenal,
the
France
international
has
signed
up
until
June
30,
2025.”

Lacazette
endured
a
frustrating
campaign
in
front
of
goal
this
season
as
Arsenal
missed
out
on
Champions
League
qualification
to
fierce
rivals
Tottenham.

The
striker
played
30
Premier
League
games
but
only
scored
four
times,
his
worst
return
since
the
2012-13
term
when
he
managed
only
league
three
goals
for
Lyon.

However,
Lacazette
provided
a
creative
force
for
Mikel
Arteta’s
team,
sitting
joint-top
of
the
assists
chart
with
Bukayo
Saka
on
seven.

Lacazette
also
ranked
sixth
for
chances
created
at
Arsenal,
with
his
29
placing
him
behind
Emile
Smith
Rowe
(30),
Granit
Xhaka
(32),
Gabriel
Martinelli
(34),
Saka
(68)
and
Martin
Odegaard
(77).

Bosz
will
hope
Lacazette
can
deliver
that
creativity
for
Lyon
next
season
and
find
his
feet
in
front
of
goal,
given
he
was
the
last
non-Paris
Saint-Germain
player
to
finish
as
Ligue
1’s
outright
top
scorer
(27
goals
in
2014-15).