Maybe it’s always been his destiny. It was at the Emirates Stadium that Alexandre Lacazette made his first steps with Olympique Lyonnais’ senior squad, at the Emirates Cup almost seven years ago.

The then-19-year-old had one heck of a weekend; after heading the winner for France in the European Under-19 Championship final against Spain on the Friday night in Caen, he enjoyed a modest celebration with the squad before getting the Eurostar to London at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning. Lacazette played for Lyon against Celtic just after lunchtime, before making it a hat-trick by turning out against Milan on Sunday.

All this time later, that big weekend still captures the essence of Lacazette in a nutshell. He ticks most of the boxes that Arsenal supporters could want in an A-list centre-forward – an intelligent, tough all-rounder with excellent experience and a sublime finisher – but it is his industry which defines his career path, and which suggests he should adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League in good time.

How could Arsenal line up this season? Show all 12 1 /12 How could Arsenal line up this season? How could Arsenal line up this season? How could Arsenal line up next season? How could Arsenal line up next season? Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? GK: Petr Cech Cech may have been dropped for the FA Cup final, but the experienced shot-stopper is unlikely to lose his Premier League place anytime soon. The goalkeeper will turn 36 next season and yet he remains one of Arsenal’s best players. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? WB: Hector Bellerin Struggled for form towards the end of last season but still one of the best full-backs in the country. Offers pace and power down the wing. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? CB: Shkodran Mustafi The German defender enjoyed a solid debut campaign in English football, making 37 appearances in all competitions for the club. Still only 25 and will improve next season, with a year of English football already under his belt. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? CB: Laurent Koscielny His poor discipline cost Arsenal in a couple of vital games, but he remains an important, influential player. There have been rumours Marseille have made Koscielny their top transfer target this summer, but it is highly unlikely Arsenal will sell. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? CB: Rob Holding After impressing with his maturity and composure in a back-three last season, there's every chance Arsene Wenger could place his faith in the youngster once again for the new campaign. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? WB: Sead Kolasinac Arsenal’s first signing of the summer. A versatile 23-year-old defender, Kolasinac plays predominantly at left-back but expect Wenger to have him push on. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? CDM: Granit Xhaka Attracted a lot of criticism for his displays last season, but grew in confidence throughout the campaign and has the talent to become a vital player for Arsenal over the coming seasons. A superb distributor of the ball. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? CM: Santi Cazorla One of Arsenal's most technically-gifted players and the glue that keeps the side's midfield together. Doubts over his fitness and whether he's got another season left in him, but should he be firing on all cylinders Wenger will want to make full use of him. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? LCM: Mesut Ozil Still negotiating a contract extension with the club. His performance levels dipped alarmingly last season, but when he is in form, he remains one of the finest passers of the ball in the world. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? RCM: Riyad Mahrez Mahrez recently announced his intentions to leave Leicester this summer and Wenger refused to rule out a move for the Premier League champion. Mahrez would bring real flair to Arsenal's side, as well as the ability to make something out of nothing. Getty How could Arsenal line up this season? CF: Alexandre Lacazette The instinctive centre-forward that Arsenal have longed for ever since Robin van Persie's departure. Industrious and physical, he'll bring a tough edge to Arsenal's front line. Getty

Lyon’s Tola Vologe academy is renowned for the quality it produces. Lacazette’s close friend Samuel Umtiti, for example, was comfortably Barcelona’s best signing of a shoddy summer window in 2016. Yet unlike Umtiti or the previous occupant of his number 10 shirt at Lyon, Karim Benzema, Lacazette was no irresistible prodigy. He has grafted every step of the way to get here.

Following that eye-catching start to first-team life in London, he struggled to win the unconditional faith of coach Claude Puel. Back then, Lacazette was a winger, who later under Rémi Garde grew into a player in the mould of previous OL academy graduate Sidney Govou as he started to cement his place in the squad.

As with Govou, he was a player who would put in a shift regardless of the sort of touch he was in, and who could pitch in with important goals – as he did with the winner in a 2012 Champions League last 16 tie against APOEL – without truly threatening to become a regular goalscorer.

Lacazette is close to becoming Arsenal's record signing (Getty)

That all changed in in late August 2013 when a financially struggling Lyon sold Lisandro López to Al-Gharafa. Lacazette stepped into the iconic Argentinian’s centre-forward role, and that marks the spike in his goalscoring numbers. He scored 113 of his 129 goals for Lyon in the four seasons since he moved infield, and never scored less than 22 in any of those campaigns.

Summer transfer window: Likely deals and biggest rumours

Having just turned 26, Lacazette’s unusually organic growth – certainly in the context of the modern game – places him a few steps ahead of the vast majority of newcomers to England. He has stayed at Lyon so long for good reason. Having grown up at the club and gradually assumed responsibility, he has been rewarded with status, played in European competition each season and been paid well, with his last contract extension signed in 2015 paying him in excess of €400,000 per month.

Lacazette has always been adamant that he would not move just for the sake of it, but only for a genuine career progression. Arsenal will now reap the benefits of the different roles he learned at Lyon. In 2013, he started as a regular centre-forward in a 4-4-2, playing off a physically imposing partner in Bafetimbi Gomis.

Lacazette is the perfect fit for Arsenal (Getty)

In the following campaign, the formation endured but the role changed, with the trickier Nabil Fekir forming a very different pair with Lacazette. Later still, after Fekir (who has also been strongly linked with The Gunners in the past) was injured, Lacazette played as a solo centre-forward in a 4-3-3, and scored more consistently than ever before.

The key to his success at the Emirates will probably be his relationship with Mesut Özil, and not just in terms of relying on the German’s supply line of passes. There is no mystery over how Lacazette and Fekir, a left-footer with a hint of Özil about him, hit it off so well.

Lacazette could be the perfect foil for Ozil (Getty) (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Lacazette has been falsely typecast in some quarters as just a penalty box player, but he has the intelligence and one/two-touch game to establish understanding with a technically top-level foil and trim defences apart. If Arsène Wenger can simply make sure Lacazette and Özil are close to each other on the pitch, the magic should come together.

Lacazette’s wide palette means he should adapt easily to working with the more direct Danny Welbeck and even, should he stay, his compatriot Olivier Giroud, recalling his days running onto the flicks and hold-ups of Gomis. He has the pace to keep up with speed merchants like Theo Walcott, but the clarity of thought to take a step back and wait for the chance to come. His finishing is only getting better with time, as the numbers prove.

Arsenal summer transfer targets Show all 6 1 /6 Arsenal summer transfer targets Arsenal summer transfer targets Thomas Lemar (Monaco) Age: 21

Position: Left-wing

Likelihood: 5/10



After their eye-catching run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, Monaco are being gutted by European football’s elite. One of their many bright young things is Lemar, who would slot right into Alexis Sanchez’s left-sided role at Arsenal should the Chilean leave the Emirates this summer. The problem? Monaco are not selling, or at least not for Arsenal’s reported initial offer of £30.75m. Getty Arsenal summer transfer targets Kylian Mbappé (Monaco) Age: 18

Position: Left/right-wing

Likelihood: 3/10



Another Monaco player, Mbappé is one of the hottest properties in Europe and is perhaps a surprise inclusion on the list, with many expecting the teenager to move to Real Madrid, if anywhere, this summer. Arsène Wenger is said to have struck up something of an accord with the lightning quick winger’s family and harbours hopes of convincing Thierry Henry’s rightful heir that north London is the best place for his development. Getty Arsenal summer transfer targets Riyad Mahrez (Leicester) Age: 26

Position: Right-wing

Likelihood: 4/10



It is no secret that Wenger is a long-time admirer of Mahrez, whose stock has fallen somewhat following that remarkable title-winning campaign with Leicester City in 2015/16. While some of Europe’s top clubs were hovering around the Algerian this time last year, the coast is now relatively clear. The only worry is whether Mahrez can recreate the scintillating form he began to show two years ago. Getty Arsenal summer transfer targets Jean Michaël Seri (Nice) Age: 25

Position: Centre-midfield

Likelihood: 5/10



Seri was one of Nice’s stand-out players during their surprise challenge for the Ligue 1 title last term. If Santi Cazorla’s injury woes continue into the new season, the Cote d’Ivoire international could prove to be an ideal replacement, but his performances in the south of France have not gone unnoticed. Roma, Southampton, Tottenham and Leicester have all been keeping tabs on the midfielder. Getty Arsenal summer transfer targets Mario Lemina (Juventus) Age: 23

Position: Centre-midfield

Likelihood: 3/10



Gabon international Lemina is in search of regular playing time away from Turin, where he has struggled to establish himself in Max Allegri’s first-choice XI. “I want to play more,” he said in June. “I think it's right for me to play more, find a club capable of giving me more space. At 23 I want to show what I can do.” Could he find the minutes he needs in north London? At the moment, there seems to be little concrete about Arsenal’s reported ‘interest’. Getty Arsenal summer transfer targets Aleksandr Golovin (CSKA Moscow) Age: 21

Position: Centre-midfield

Likelihood: 2/10



Another midfielder whose name has been bandied around in the gossip columns this summer, but with few solid leads for transfer-hungry supporters to pursue. Any deal for the talented CSKA Moscow academy graduate would likely involve him being loaned back to his current club, if indeed any such deal is likely at all. Getty