DEAL CLOSE! Arsenal ready to pay club-record fee for Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal are close to agreeing a club-record fee with Lyon to sign Alexandre Lacazette, according to reports.

The Gunners have made the French striker their number one summer target and are said to have made a breakthrough in negotiations with the Ligue 1 club.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas previously stated it would be unlikely Lacazette would leave in the current transfer window, but an improved offer from the north London club looks to have changed the situation.

Arsene Wenger’s side have also been strongly linked with moves for Monaco duo Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar, with the club preparing for the possible departure of Alexis Sanchez.

Any deal for Lacazette is likely to eclipse the £42million fee Arsenal paid to Real Madrid for Mesut Ozil in September 2013.