Alexandre Lacazette joins former membership Lyon from Arsenal on free switch, indicators three 12 months deal

France striker Alexandre Lacazette, who was out of contract with Arsenal on the finish of June, returned to his former membership Lyon on a three-year deal on Thursday.

Lacazette left Lyon in 2017 for a then club-record of 60 million euros ($64 million) after becoming a member of the French league aspect at age 12. He performed eight skilled seasons with Lyon.

With Arsenal, Lacazette scored 71 targets in 206 appearances for the north London membership. He made an prompt affect within the English Premier League, scoring 94 seconds on his debut, and was Arsenal’s high scorer in two seasons. He misplaced his place to Eddie Nketiah over the ultimate weeks of his final season.

Lacazette has 16 caps for France.

“Even without a European Cup to play, the project was more important than anything else,” Lacazette mentioned.

“I felt I could be useful in the dressing room and on the pitch, it was the best decision. It is moving to come back. I want to help the club to return to the top and qualify for Europe.”

Lyon, which struggled to an eighth-placed end this season and gained its final French league title in 2008, mentioned Lacazette’s return was a precedence over the previous couple of months.

“This second signing of the offseason, which follows Remy Riou’s return to the club and the prolongation of Maxence Caqueret and Anthony Lopes, is proof that the club has great ambitions to instill a new dynamic around its men’s professional squad,” Lyon mentioned in an announcement.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas mentioned the offseason recruitment might be bold and confirmed he was making an attempt to convey again one other former participant to the membership, Corentin Tolisso. The midfielder is a free agent after his contract at Bayern Munich ran out.

Lacazette’s comeback was introduced amid media studies that Foster Gillett, the son of former Liverpool proprietor George Gillett, has reached an settlement to turn out to be Lyon’s majority shareholder.

Gillett was a director at Liverpool throughout his father’s stint as part-owner with Tom Hicks, after they purchased the membership in 2007. According to L’Equipe newspaper, he has reached an settlement value 600 million euros ($640 million) with Aulas, who has been operating the membership since 1987.