Arsenal have to pay £40m to sign Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal will have to pay £40m ($53m) plus bonuses to sign Alexander Lacazette from Lyon this summer, having had a bid worth £30m ($40m) for the striker rejected earlier in the window. The Gunners are in the market for a goalscorer and Lacazette is a player Arsene Wenger is looking at this summer to provide the impetus up front.

The Mirror reports that Lyon will be willing to do business if a club matches their valuation despite having shot down Arsenal's offer earlier in the window. West Ham are another club who are interested in securing the player's services but the Gunners, with Champions League football to offer, remain the favourites to complete a deal should they be interested.

"The truth is that Arsenal made a formal offer of €35m (£29m, $39m) to which Lyon have not responded for this one reason: Lyon will keep Lacazette, who is irreplaceable and one of the leading players in Bruno Genesio's squad," Lyon said in a statement.

Arsenal are currently in the USA ahead of a few friendly games lined up in preparation for their Premier League opener against Liverpool on Sunday, 14 August. Quizzed about Lyon's statement, Wenger said whatever transfer plans they have for the summer will remain secret.

"Lyon is responsible for their own statements. On the transfer front, I think the best [option] is always to keep as secret as possible. If we sign somebody, we will announce it. But I cannot tell you much more on that," Wenger told Arsenal's official website.

The Gunners are also in trouble at the back with Per Mertesacker out for 'months' after picking up a knee injury in their pre-season game against Lens. Gabriel is out with tonsillitis while Laurent Koscielny is expected back in the squad later in August after being involved with France in the Euros