Alexandre Lacazette will leave Arsenal this summer having agreed a return to Lyon.
The French forward’s contract at the Emirates will expire at the end of the month and despite talks to renew his stay in north London, an exit is now close.
The Athletic report the 30-year-old is ‘on the cusp’ of sealing a return to former side Lyon. Lacazette left Les Gones for a fee of £46.5million in the summer of 2017 to join the Gunners.
He will leave Arsenal having scored 71 goals in 206 games for the club.
In February, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said the club would ‘make every possible effort’ to bring the forward back to the club.
Lyon general manager Vincent Ponsot added: ‘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.’
Arsenal were facing the prospect of losing both Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah on free transfers this summer, leaving them with no senior centre forward at the club.
Nketiah however is now expected to sign a new five-year contract with the Gunners after an impressive end to the 2021-22 season, netting braces against Chelsea and Leeds and also scoring on the final day of the season against Everton.
Arsenal still hope to sign another forward this summer having already held talks with Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus.
Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin is also said to be on their radar.
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