Arsenal star to return to old club for free five years after joining Gunners for £46 million

Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette could return to his former club Lyon on a free transfer, just five years after joining the London side in a big money deal. 

The Gunners paid £46.5 million for the Frenchman back in 2017, but his contract expires this summer and the Ligue 1 side are interested in re-signing the striker, as per The Athletic.

Lacazette, 31, captained Mikel Arteta’s side for much of last season but has decided against extending his stay at the club, and has reportedly opted to return to his former side.

In February, Lyon general manager Vincent Ponsot said of Lacazette: “He’s a player who interests us for all that he has represented here.”

“We noticed his maturity and he is someone that the club have stayed in contact with,” he added.

Lacazette looks set for a return to France

The France international has scored 71 goals and provided 36 assists in 206 games for the Gunners, including 17 goals during his debut season in English football.

In France, he scored 129 goals in 275 games for Lyon after making his debut in 2010.

Lacazette was used as Arteta’s senior striker during the second half of last term after the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli also featuring up front.

The former was also set to be out of contract this summer and had rejected numerous offers from the club to extend his deal, but Nketiah now looks likely to extend his stay in north London after an impressive end to the season.

The England youth international scored five goals in his last seven league games.