EMERY TRIED TO SIGN LACA WHEN AT PSG

UNAI EMERY recognised the qualities in Alex Lacazette’s game long before the pair arrived at the Emirates.

When he took over as boss of Paris Saint-germain at the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Emery wanted to sign the then Lyon striker, but the relationship between the two clubs made it very difficult.

Lacazette scored a sixthminute opener when the two sides met in the March of that season, a 2-1 home victory for PSG.

And that goal contributed to a tally of 36 goals in 44 games, which convinced Arsene Wenger to sign him for Arsenal for almost £50million.

Lacazette (below) struggled at times in his first season at the Emirates, particularly around the gruelling festive period.

So when Pierre Emerickaubameyang arrived for £56m in January, the writing looked on the wall for the Frenchman.

Credit to Lacazette, however, he has battled hard for his place and, with five goals in seven games since the start of September, he is one of the leading lights in Arsenal’s impressive recent run.

“When I arrived at PSG, we were thinking about signing him,” said Emery. “We liked his quality and characteristics, and the people at the club said to us, ‘This player has the quality to play for PSG’.

“He was at Lyon and it wasn’t easy to have the conversation or to sign a player from Lyon or for Lyon from PSG.

“But now we are speaking together with Laca every day.

“Last year was his first year in the Premier League, it was a different league to the French League, a different position for him, a different rhythm.

“Not a different mentality, though, because he has a very good mentality and he gives himself very good chances to score.

“He is very efficient, but he needs to continue his adaptation to us, to the Premier League and to its rhythm.

“And this year we are looking at one step more in this level from last year.”