Arsenal €35m Lacazette bid rejected

Arsenal have made a €35 million offer for French striker Alexandre Lacazette which has been rejected by Lyon, the French club have confirmed.

Lyon have released a statement confirming Arsenal's €35 million offer for the 25-year-old goal scorer, insisting that their star man is not for sale this summer.

Lacazette has been Lyon's top scorer for the past two seasons. Having enjoyed a breakthrough 2014-15 campaign in which he scored 31 times, the pacey forward followed that up with 23 goals last season.

Lacazette has played for France at every youth level, and has 10 caps with Les Bleus' senior side, with one goal.

The Lyon-born player finished last season in outstanding form and was extremely unlucky not to be named in Didier Deschamps' France squad for the UEFA European Championship on home soil.

Lacazette's form in front of goal towards the back end of the last campaign helped Lyon pip Monaco to second place in Ligue 1 behind champions Paris Saint Germain, securing qualification for next season's Champions League.

Arsenal are known to be in the hunt for a top quality striker, and were close to signing Jamie Vardy from Leicester City having activated his buyout clause, only for the England man to turn down the Gunners in favour of staying with the Premier League champions.

Lacazette is also believed to be a target for PSG, but it will take a bid much higher than €35 million for Lyon to consider changing their stance on his availability.