“What Are You Doing Next Season” – How Lacazette Told Coquelin He’s Joining Arsenal

Francis Coquelin reveals text received from Alexandre Lacazette…

Francis Coquelin told Arsenal Player that compatriot Alexandre Lacazette sent him a cryptic text message months before joining Arsenal in which he hinted at the impending move, much to the midfielder’s confusion.

Coquelin revealed that it’s commonplace for some players to text each other during the summer to see who’s moving where, and he innocently thought one of those messages had arrived when Lacazette popped up on his phone.

However, the clinical French striker was clearly indirectly hinting at the move which has now been rubber stamped as our most expensive transfer to date.

Lacazette completed his £52million move last week, eclipsing Mesut Ozil as our record signing and Coquelin can’t wait to link up with his former France U19 teammate.

“He texted me saying: ‘What are you doing next season’,” Coquelin told Arsenal Player.

“Usually we do text in the summer to know what everyone is doing; I thought he was asking me if I was staying or if I was doing something, but I didn’t expect him to come.

“Obviously I saw in the papers it was rumoured, so I texted him back. I’m really happy he’s coming.”

Coquelin knows Lacazette better than anyone in our current squad and he described him as a “goal-scoring machine”, citing the U19 Euros in which the former Lyon man came on to score the winner.

Both stars are set to go on the tour of Australia and China this summer ahead of a crucial new season.

Source: Arsenal Player