Mourinho turned down chance to sign Arsenal’s club-record signing

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho opted against signing Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette before sanctioning a £75m deal to reunite with Everton frontman Romelu Lukaku, reports The Guardian.

Mourinho scouted the France international after it became clear Antoine Griezmann would not be leaving Atletico Madrid this summer, but was put off the idea after being told by the club's scouts there were doubts over Lacazette’s big-game temperament and suitability to the Premier League.

Arsenal were instead given a clear run at signing the Lyon striker and ended up paying £52.7m to land the 26-year-old after his own proposed move to Atletico collapsed at the end of May.

After opting against pursuing Lacazette, United focused their attentions on Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata before swooping to complete a shock deal to sign Lukaku from right under Chelsea’s noses.

Lacazette spent his entire career at Lyon prior to becoming the most expensive player in Arsenal’s history. Having long been linked with a move to the Premier Lague, the French striker arrives having scored the most goals in Ligue 1 over the last four campaigns (91).

For more stats on Alexandre Lacazette, click here to visit his WhoScored player page