Alexandre Lacazette is expected to score around 18 goals during his first season in the Premier League.

• Lacazette will add creativity as well as goals
• How do Lacazette and Giroud compare: Stats and team influence
• Ozil: My friends told me I’ll have fun with Lacazette

Leading betting company Sporting Index believe that while scoring 20 goals in his first season is a bit of an ask, Alexandre Lacazette could net 18.

“Arsenal fans have been calling for Wenger to splash the cash for the last few seasons, and Alexandre Lacazette is certainly the type of player to excite supporters and get them off their seats,” Sporting Index’s Ed Fulton says [via Gunnersphere].

“Last season Alexis Sanchez was the first Arsenal player to score over 20 league goals since Robin van Persie in 2012, and they could look to cash in on the Chilean frontman if he refuses to sign a new contract. That leaves big boots to fill, and Lacazette could be the man to step up with the lion’s share of goals for Arsene Wenger’s side.

“He has scored over 20 times in each of the last three seasons for Lyon in Ligue 1, however asking him to score 20 in his first season in the Premier League is a big ask. If he notches eighteen times in the league, then he’ll surely be deemed a big success in his debut year.”

As Fulton points out, Lacazette has scored over 20 a season during for his last three years at Lyon.

In fact, last season, the 28-year-old scored 28 in 30 Ligue 1 appearances (three assists).

The season before that, he scored 21 in 34, and during the 2014/15 campaign, he netted an impressive 27 in 33.

Therefore, while the French league is different to the Premiership, he’s consistently proven that he’s deadly in front of goal, which isn’t going to change just because he’s moved to England.

What could change is his ability to keep up with the fast-paced, physical style of play, which might limit his chances to score, which is why Sporting Index don’t quite reckon he’ll score 20 in his first season.