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'I always dreamt of playing for this club'

Alexandre Lacazette became our second signing of the summer on Wednesday when he agreed to join us from French club, Lyon.

We spoke to our new striker for the first time and discussed why he wanted to join us, being inspired by Thierry Henry, the secret to his chance conversion rate and more.

Click the 'Play' button above to watch our interview and you can also read a transcript here:

Alexandre, congratulations - how does it feel to be an Arsenal player?

I am, of course, delighted and very proud too because Arsenal is a legendary club. Throughout my childhood, thanks to Thierry Henry and other French players, I always dreamed of playing for this club so today that dream has been fulfilled.

Apart from that link with those French players, what else about Arsenal appeals to you?

Arsenal's past - I like clubs with a history. Also the fact that the manager has been here for a while shows that it is a stable club which I like. In addition there are quite a few French players here, which makes it easier to settle in. In my opinion, Arsenal is also the club that plays the best football in England so I really wanted to come here. 

Can you tell us a bit about your playing style and what we can expect?

When I play I like to use my pace and to link up with my team-mates. As a forward, I like to score goals, of course, but that’s not all that I'm about. I love good flowing football where the whole team is engaged.

Last season you had the second-best chance conversion rate in Europe’s top five leagues - what is your secret to good finishing?

First of all you need to have players behind you who pass the ball well, resulting in good goalscoring opportunities. Also every time I take a shot at goal it’s because I believe I can score. I don’t just shoot for the sake of it. 

I always try to choose the best option, whether that is to pass or to shoot. I also try to keep as calm as possible. All that is achieved by a lot of hard work in training.

Do you have a message for the Arsenal fans?

I want to give one hundred per cent in every match. I want to show I’m worthy of the shirt. I want to do everything I can to make sure we win titles.