Alexandre Lacazette shows Lyon commitment after "difficulty" of five years away

Alexandre Lacazette has revealed he took a wage cut in order to re-join Lyon this summer after five years away from the club.

The Ligue 1 giants confirmed the return of their former captain on Thursday after Arsenal announced he had departed at the end of his contract in North London. Lacazette became the second big-name forward to quit the Emirates this year after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's move to Barcelona in January.

Lacazette originally joined the Gunners from the French for a reported £52.7m during Arsene Wenger 's final summer transfer window in 2017. Lacazette made 206 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 71 goals and winning the FA Cup in 2020.

The 31-year-old was re-introduced to Lyon fans on Thursday in a club press conference where he spoke about how he shared their "DNA" before confirming that he accepted a pay cut to re-join the club where he scored 129 goals across six full seasons during his first stint.

"My love for the club was enough to take it (the pay cut)," Lacazette explained to reporters. "The project is also very important for me. It was a decision I took with those close to me and in the end, I'm happy. It is moving to rediscover this stadium. I can't wait to wear the shirt."

The striker continued: "I took my time making my decision to return. Football is a beautiful job. It was difficult to follow Lyon from a distance last season and not be able to help them. I hope that this period is over, and we can re-find a strong Lyon. The objective is certainly to help the club get back to the top and achieve a European qualification."

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The former Lyon captain insisted he did not need to wear the armband again as he knew he could "talk in the locker room and help my team." Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas added: "Thank you Alexandre for being with us this morning and for being with us for the next few years. We wanted to make our speech credible and move from words to actions."

The Frenchman's exit from Arsenal leaves Eddie Nketiah as the only senior recognised striker at the club following the departure of Aubameyang in January. Lacazette had netted double figures in goals in the Premier League in each of his first four campaigns at the club but found the net just four times last season in a fallow spell.