Former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires has warned that new club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette will need time to adapt to the Premier League following his arrival from Lyon.
Lacazette has been one of the leading strikers in Europe's top five leagues in recent seasons and last term scored 28 Ligue 1 goals to earn a £46.5m switch to the Emirates Stadium.
The 26-year-old is already up and running having scored on his first appearance for the club in a pre-season game against Sydney FC, but Pires believes that he could make a slower start to his time in the Premier League.
"I think he'll be a success. But maybe he will need time to adapt. He is a good striker who has scored a lot of goals with Lyon. Of course it will be very difficult in the beginning because when you play in France and move to England it is not the same, it is very aggressive," he told reporters.
"Maybe he will need time for the adaptation but everyone around him is very important, especially the French connection. But to make the adaption, to find the rhythm and the tempo, for me it took six or seven months. It was very tough, for me it was the aggression and intensity. It was my first game away at Sunderland and Arsene Wenger said 'Robert, I know you are a bit upset because you want to play but I prefer if you are on the bench and you can watch the game, the fight and the tempo'.
"After 20 minutes sat on the bench I said to myself 'what are you doing here?' because it was very, very difficult. I remember one tackle from Patrick Vieira and I thought this football wasn't for me. It was very difficult and it is about adaptation. If you play in France, Spain or Italy it is not the same football."
Lacazette's competitive debut for Arsenal could come when they face Chelsea in the Community Shield on August 6.
Barney Corkhill
