Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has revealed that Alex Sanchez played a vital role in his decision to join the North London club in the summer.

The French striker joined the Gunners in a deal worth £52.7m from Lyon in the summer.

"That's also one of the reasons why I wanted to come to Arsenal - to play with players of [Alexis'] calibre," Lacazette told Arsenal Player. "Just seeing him in training, I like the way he plays and his mental attitude. His approach makes me want to play alongside him - hopefully for many years."

The 26-year-old has already scored four league goals for the Gunners, but he says that he is still getting used to the physicality in Premier League.

"I'm enjoying it," he added. "The Arsenal staff are excellent and they've helped me a lot. Also, the fact that there are quite a few French players in the club has made the transition much easier for me. On the pitch too, I feel a good connection with the fans, so overall, I am very happy.

"The main difference is that the game is a lot more physical. The pace of the game is also very different. I now really understand what it means to play box-to-box.

"Things can move so fast that you don't have time to catch your breath or think about the next move. As I said, though, the main difference is that the game is much more physical."