Moving to Arsenal was always Lacazette’s priority, according to his agent.

The striker arrived from Lyon in the summer for a reported fee of £52m. For a while, it seemed like the deal wouldn’t happen, as Lacazette was close to joining Atletico Madrid.

However, according to his agent David Venditelli, Arsenal were number one on the shortlist of clubs Lacazette wanted to join.

“It was a bit special because there was, if we come back a little before his signature in July, the episode for one month with Atlético Madrid,” he told SFR Sport via Tribal Football.

“There were talks, but luckily it was not just this club interested in Alex. He had made, in relation to the discussions that one could have with European clubs, a short-list with a preference for Arsenal obviously.

“Afterwards, it must be said, it was difficult to find a club that could offer sports progression to Alex, but also that could put more than €50m forward for him. So in the end, it occurred naturally.”

The move to Atletico broke down after the La Liga club had their transfer ban upheld. Lacazette could have still agreed to join them, but he opted to go somewhere where he could play immediately instead.

The 26-year-old has made a good start to his Arsenal career, scoring six goals in 11 games. His most recent strike came off the bench in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Arsene Wenger has been cautious with his Lacazette’s minutes so far this season. He’s only completed 90 minutes once, and started on the bench in the game against Liverpool and City. Despite that, he’s doing well with the limited opportunities he gets up front.

Lacazette has been called up to France’s squad for their friendlies against Wales and Germany, and will be hoping his form will get him a start over teammate Olivier Giroud.