Transfer Centre

Jose Mourinho 'rejected Alexandre Lacazette deal'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 11 July 2017

A report claims that Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho rejected the chance to sign Alexandre Lacazette after concluding that the forward was not "a big-game player".

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho reportedly rejected the chance to sign French forward Alexandre Lacazette this summer after concluding that the 26-year-old was not "a big-game player".

The Red Devils have splashed out £75m to sign Romelu Lukaku from Everton in this summer's transfer window, while Lacazette left Lyon to join Arsenal in a club-record deal.

Lacazette scored 129 times in 275 appearances for Lyon, but it is reported that Mourinho turned down the chance to sign the France international after a long scouting mission.

"Lacazette was followed because he was top scorer in French football – but a lot of his goals were penalties (10 of his 28 goals last season came from the spot)," The Express quotes a Man United source as saying. "In the end he wasn't considered because he has no stamina, no physical impact and isn't a big-game player."

Lacazette scored 37 times in 45 appearances for Lyon during the 2016-17 campaign, while Lukaku, who trained with his new teammates for the first time on Monday, struck 26 goals in 39 appearances for Everton last term.