Arsene Wenger reveals £52.6m striker Alexandre Lacazette will make Arsenal debut against Sydney FC on Thursday

By Alex Terrell

11th July 2017, 3:28 pm

Updated: 11th July 2017, 3:29 pm

ARSENE WENGER has confirmed striker Alexandre Lacazette will make his debut for Arsenal against Sydney FC on Thursday.

The £52.6million signing from Lyon joined last week and leapfrogged Mesut Ozil as the club record singing.

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Alexandre Lacazette met Arsenal fans in Sydney after the squad flew out to Australia

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Alexandre Lacazette was unveiled as an Arsenal player for a club record fee last week

And after the Gunners players landed in Sydney ahead of the start of their tour, Wenger was keen to play down any speculation over the future of Alexis Sanchez.

But Australian soccer fans will get the chance to see Lacazette in an Arsenal shirt for the first time before they play Western Sydney Wanderers in the 83,500-capacity ANZ Stadium.

The Frenchman said: “Lacazette will make his debut here on Thursday night and will play again on Saturday.”

Arsenal have flown into Australia’s most popular tourist destination to start pre-season training and matches against the A-League sides.

They will then head off to China where they will face Bayern Munich in Shanghai on July 19 and then Chelsea in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest on July 22.

Then Arsenal will host Benfica and Sevilla in the Emirates Cup at their home ground in North London before facing Chelsea again in the Community Shield on August 6.

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Wenger added that he is sure the club have a chance to keep star forward Sanchez at Arsenal beyond his deal that expires next summer.

The 97-year-old said: “You have to make up your mind. I think the easiest way to manage in the final year – it is in his interests to do as well as he can.

“Nobody knows today if he will be in the final year next season, because he can extend the contract with us at the start or during the season.

“So it is not necessarily the last year of his contract at Arsenal Football Club.”