Breaking the record fee has been the storyline this transfer season. From Wolves to Bournemouth to Everton, everyone has been trying to get their man, turning a blind eye to the exorbitant money involved. Following that script is Arsenal with the capture of their long time love, Alexandre Lacazette from Olympique Lyonnais. That Atletico Madrid was courting his signature showcases his pedigree and world class appeal.

Lacazette vs Giroud

While all the other elite teams had strikers vying for the golden boot (Costa, Kane, Aguero, Lukaku, Ibrahimovic), Arsenal were looking to their midfield maestros for the necessary inspiration. Lacazette scored 27 goals last season at 1.03 goals per 90 minutes while Giroud managed 12 at 0.89 goals per 90 minutes. Welbeck managed only 2 at 0.24 per 90 minutes. Arsenal will surely miss Giroud’s headed goals if Lacazette is to replace him at the tip of their attack. 6 of 12 goals that Giroud scored last season were headers. Lacazette scored only 2 from headers out of his 27. But headers are always a bonus as far as the Gunners are concerned and possibly they won’t miss headed goals much.

Lacazette and Arsenal – Round Peg, Round Hole

Lacazette’s major talking point is his movement and ability to bring others into play. This will surely bode well for the Arsenal attack, who pride themselves on their slick passing and clever interchanges. He made 1.63 key passes per 90 minutes last season which is greater than both of Gunners’ strikers and just shy of Sanchez. His pass completion rate (78%) is even higher than that of Sanchez. Lacazette could be the man to complete the puzzle that was missing a crucial piece since the days of one Robin Van Persie.

What does Lacazette’s transfer mean for Draft Fantasy Managers?

Giroud was owned by 65% of the draft managers, which is a full 16% lesser than his immediate competitor above him, Daniel Sturridge. The forwards above Giroud are owned anywhere between 85% and 98%. He is the first forward owned by lesser than 85%. Simply put, Draft managers do not consider Giroud to be of the same quality as the other top forwards. He is the at the most, the best of the rest. An Arsenal forward surely deserves more trust and Lacazette can do more than just repay the faith. He is right up there with the best.

That transfer ban on Atletico Madrid being upheld has caused some ruckus in the market and Arsenal fans should be more than happy with their side of the bargain.