Thierry Henry said Arsenal star would talk about one teammate ‘all the time’, Mikel Arteta sold him for nothing

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Thierry Henry once revealed that one former player was making the headlines before he even joined Arsenal.

Whether it be as a player or as an Arsenal icon watching on, Henry has passed comment on talent at the Emirates over the years.

The Gunners’ record goalscorer is the benchmark for many players who represent Arsenal, with some even having an opinion of the club due to the Frenchman’s past heroics.

One player who was charmed by Arsenal before even signing was Alexandre Lacazette, who, after long-standing transfer links, finally made the move to North London in 2017.

• READ MORE: Arsene Wenger’s last Arsenal starting lineup and where they are now

Thierry Henry says Francis Coquelin was impressed by Alexandre Lacazette

Lacazette was one of Arsenal’s most expensive transfers, signing for the Gunners from Lyon for a fee of £46.5m. 

The price was a club-record fee at the time, and for good reason, as the Frenchman was getting rave reviews long before Arsene Wenger made the decision to sign him.

After the striker’s transfer was announced, Lacazette sat down with Sky Sports for an interview with Henry, who revealed that one former Arsenal player was frequently telling him about the forward. 

“I remember that Francis Coquelin used to talk to me about you all the time: ‘We’ve got a really good player, he’ll be really good, you watch.’”

Henry shared that ex-Arsenal midfielder Coquelin raved about Lacazette even before he joined Wenger’s squad, lauding him as an up-and-coming talent in France. 

Those in N5 were excited by Lacazette long before his transfer, and to some degree, Arsenal could consider themselves fortunate to have landed the striker.

The Frenchman made the decision to leave his boyhood club, Lyon, to join Arsenal, eventually returning to his birth city once his time at the Emirates was up.

How many goals did Lacazette score for Arsenal? 

Though Lacazette found a way to thrive under Wenger and then Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta called time on the striker’s career in England.

It was suspected that Arteta had a problem with Lacazette in the latter stages of his Arsenal career, as the forward’s minutes began to drop, paving the way to his exit on a free transfer.

Still, the Lyon icon left N5 with his head held high, being a player well-thought of by Arsenal fans due to his contribution at a time of need and during the club’s transition following Wenger’s departure. 

In 206 appearances for Arsenal, Lacazette scored 71 times in all competitions, also recording 35 assists to take his goal contribution tally to 106.

In the Premier League alone, Lacazette netted 54 goals, with his highest-scoring season in the English top flight represented by the 14 goals he scored during his debut campaign.

After five years, one FA Cup and one Community Shield medal, Lacazette called time on his Arsenal career, returning to Lyon, for whom he recently played his last game at the expiration of his contract.