BBC pundit Danny Murphy has heaped heavy praise on Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette and claimed that he “will be a smart signing”.
The 26-year-old completed a permanent deal to the North London club in the summer transfer window from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon for a reported fee of £52million.
The Frenchman became an instant fan favourite, scoring the first goal of the new Premier League campaign in the 4-3 victory against Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium.
The striker has enjoyed a great start to life in England, notching up a total of four goals in only seven appearances for the Gunners, including a brace in last Monday’s game against West Browmich Albion.
The France international is set to feature for Arsenal when they host Brighton on Sunday afternoon.
Writing in his column for the Evening Standard, Murphy, who is a regular on the BBC, reveals that he has been impressed with Lacazette’s start in the Premier League.
“Alexandre Lacazette has been allowed to travel under the radar because only Arsene Wenger really expects Arsenal to win the title,” he wrote.
“But I like Lacazette. He looks a good finisher, calm in the box and seems to believe in himself.
“I know it is early to say, but I have seen enough from him to make me believe he will be a smart signing – as long as he gets the service he needs.”
OPINION
Danny Murphy is spot on about his assessment of Lacazette. Although the Frenchman has not managed to score the same amount of goals as the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata, he was the perfect signing for the Gunners this summer. Arsenal have been screaming out for a typical centre-forward and Lacazette has shown that he has the quality to score important goals especially against the lesser teams in the Premier League. The striker might possibly have more goals to his name if he had been involved in more league matches early on. There is no doubt that Lacazette will most likely end the season as Arsenal’s top goalscorer but he still may not be given the deserved credit due to the quality of strikers curently plying their trade in the Premier League.