Report: Arsenal to submit improved €41.5M bid for Lyon's Lacazette

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Arsenal is ready to increase its offer for in-demand Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, despite the French outfit's hard-line stance over the player.

The Gunners are preparing a second €41.5-million (£35-million) bid for the 25-year-old hitman, according to The Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas called Lacazette "irreplaceable" in an interview earlier in the week, and rejected Arsenal's first €35-million (£29.3-million) offer.

Arsenal's interest in the Frenchman reportedly began in earnest during Euro 2016, when manager Arsene Wenger met the player's representatives. Wenger had been in France as a television pundit.

The north London club clearly identified a striker amongst its greatest needs. Olivier Giroud is expected to miss the start of the Premier League campaign, and Danny Welbeck will likely return from knee surgery next year.

Wenger could theoretically call upon Theo Walcott, Joel Campbell, and Chuba Akpom - who scored the winner in Thursday's MLS All-Star game - to alleviate his injury concerns in the interim. Lacazette, however, would be a much more permanent solution to a long-standing problem in front of goal.

A penalty box specialist, Lacazette scored 21 goals in 34 league matches last season. He led Ligue 1 in scoring the year prior with 27 strikes to his name.

Lyon is putting up a tough resistance in the transfer market, having already turned down Napoli's €37.5-million bid for midfielder Corentin Tolisso earlier this week.