Alexandre Lacazette. A name that still carries weight in North London. Arsenal fans remember his goals, his passion, the way he celebrated in front of them with clenched fists and a roar that echoed across the Emirates Stadium. They remember the quiet moments too—the calm, composed finishes, the selfless assists, the leadership he brought to a team that was trying to find its way back to glory. Now, years after leaving Arsenal, Lacazette is embarking on a new adventure. One that seems a world away from the roaring stands of North London or the historic turf of Lyon. He is heading to the Saudi Pro League, to a club called NEOM S.C., and in doing so, he is writing the next, unexpected chapter of his storied career.
It is a move that will surprise some but makes perfect sense in the context of global football today. Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in its domestic league, signing players from Europe with money that most clubs cannot match. They want to transform their football scene, to turn the Saudi Pro League into a true destination for elite players. For Lacazette, the offer was too good to ignore. At 34, with his contract at Lyon expiring, he found himself at a crossroads. Stay in Europe on reduced terms? Chase a final payday in America? Or accept the chance to play in a country determined to reshape its footballing image, where he would be paid handsomely and treated like royalty?
He chose NEOM S.C. And with that, he joins a growing list of players who have decided to take their talents to Saudi Arabia. But let’s rewind a little. Let’s remember the man who is making this move, because it is important to understand who Lacazette is, what he represents, and why this transfer carries real weight.
Born in Lyon, Lacazette was more than just a local boy done good. He was the embodiment of the club’s soul. From a young age, he was identified as special, someone with that rare knack for scoring goals in all sorts of ways. He could lash them in from distance. He could finish with cool precision in one-on-ones. He could score headers despite not being the tallest striker. He was a fox in the box, but also a tireless worker who tracked back, pressed defenders, and linked play with clever passes.
When he first broke into Lyon’s senior team, fans saw in him hope. A striker who reminded them of past greats but who also offered something new. He was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2014/15. He scored over 200 goals for Lyon in two separate spells, becoming one of their all-time top scorers. He didn’t just play for Lyon. He was Lyon. He was their talisman, their leader, their icon.
That is what made his first big move so dramatic. Arsenal came calling in 2017. At the time, Arsenal were in flux. Arsène Wenger was nearing the end of his reign. The club was no longer guaranteed Champions League football every season. They needed a striker, someone who could lead the line and score reliably. They saw Lacazette as that man. And for £46.5 million—a club record at the time—they got him.
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Arsenal fans were thrilled. Finally, a proven goalscorer. Someone who could finish chances but also link play, drop deep, combine with wingers like Alexis Sánchez and later Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Lacazette did not disappoint. He scored 54 goals in 158 Premier League matches. More than the numbers, though, was his attitude. He played with a fire that Arsenal supporters loved. He pressed. He fought. He wasn’t afraid to get stuck in. And he scored important goals—none more so than the ones that helped Arsenal win the FA Cup in 2020, defeating Chelsea in the final.
But football is cruel. Styles change. Managers change. Form dips. Younger players emerge. By 2022, Lacazette found himself back at Lyon. It was the perfect homecoming. He was welcomed like a returning king. Lyon needed him. They needed his goals, his experience. And he delivered. Even last season, at 34, he was one of Ligue 1’s top scorers with 15 goals, despite Lyon being in crisis. The club faced financial turmoil and even suffered the shame of relegation to Ligue 2. For a player who had given them so much, it was a painful way to end things.
Now, after his contract ended in June, Lacazette was a free agent. Many wondered what he would do. Stay in Europe? Retire? Go to MLS? But the Saudi Pro League has changed the rules. Clubs there, flush with cash from the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, are determined to buy prestige, to bring in players who have starred in Europe and can raise the level of the league. NEOM S.C. is one of the most ambitious of these clubs.
NEOM itself is not just a club. It is an idea—a futuristic city being built in the northwest desert of Saudi Arabia. Billions are being poured into it to turn it into a showcase of what the kingdom says is the future: sustainable, high-tech, a magnet for tourism and business. And of course, sport is part of that vision. NEOM S.C., once known as Al-Suqoor Club, has been rebranded with the city’s name, a symbol of the country’s ambitions.
NEOM S.C. is not even an old powerhouse of Saudi football. They’re newcomers, earning back-to-back promotions to reach the top division. But they don’t want to stop there. Backed by massive resources, they want to challenge the giants—Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad. They want to sign big names, build a new fan base, and make headlines around the world. Signing Lacazette is part of that strategy.
For Lacazette, the move makes sense. He gets a lucrative deal at a stage of his career when most players are thinking about retirement. Reports say it’s a two-year contract, giving him stability and a big payday. He also gets the chance to be a leader in a developing league, to show younger Saudi players what professionalism looks like. And he reunites with an old friend, Saïd Benrahma, who also played for Lyon and joined NEOM S.C. earlier this year.
But the story is bigger than Lacazette alone. This move is another signal of how Saudi Arabia is shaking up the football world. For decades, European leagues were the pinnacle. Players only went to less prominent leagues when they were truly finished, or if they couldn’t make it at the top level. But now, the Saudi Pro League is changing that narrative. They are signing big names who still have something to give. Karim Benzema. Cristiano Ronaldo. N’Golo Kanté. Riyad Mahrez. Roberto Firmino. And now, Alexandre Lacazette.
Saudi Arabia’s vision is clear. They want their domestic league to be world-class. They want their national team to be competitive on the global stage. They are building stadiums, hiring experienced coaches, investing in academies. NEOM S.C. plans to have a 46,000-seat stadium by 2033. They are signing players like Lacazette not just to win games, but to raise the profile of the league, to attract attention, to inspire a new generation of Saudi players.
Of course, there is controversy. Critics argue that this is sportswashing—a way for Saudi Arabia to improve its global image despite human rights concerns. But from a football perspective, the impact is undeniable. The Saudi Pro League is now on the map. Players who would never have considered it five years ago are now going. And clubs like NEOM S.C. are using those signings to build something from scratch.
For Arsenal fans, this news is bittersweet. Lacazette remains a beloved figure. He was not the most prolific striker in Arsenal’s history, but he was one of the most committed. He led by example. He helped the club through tough transitions. He celebrated the big goals with genuine joy. He was there when Arsenal lifted silverware again. Seeing him move to Saudi Arabia is a reminder of time’s relentless march. Players age. Careers wind down. Icons move on.
But there is also pride. Arsenal fans can look at Lacazette’s journey and see a player who gave everything, who succeeded in multiple leagues, who remained professional to the end. Even his farewell message to Lyon was full of grace. “It is never easy to find the right words to say goodbye to the club that shaped me, not only as a player but as a person,” he wrote on Instagram. No drama. No bitterness. Just gratitude.
Meanwhile, NEOM S.C. wasted no time in celebrating their new signing. Their announcement on social media was poetic: “From the cradle of heritage in Lyon to the frontier of the future at NEOM S.C. Sharpshooter Alexandre Lacazette has arrived.” It is marketing, yes. But it also reflects the scale of their ambitions. They don’t just want to be another club. They want to be a symbol of Saudi Arabia’s future.
Lacazette will play under Brazilian coach Péricles Chamusca, who knows what it takes to succeed in Saudi football. And the club is not done recruiting. Reports say they are targeting players like Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey and Nice’s goalkeeper Marcin Bulka. They want to build a team that can challenge immediately. For Lacazette, it means he won’t just be a passenger. He will be a key player, a leader, someone the club will build around for at least the next two seasons.
Back in England, the news is being met with mixed emotions. Some see it as another sign of the power of Saudi money. Others shrug—it’s a 34-year-old striker moving at the end of his career. But for those who watched Lacazette week in, week out at Arsenal, there is a sense of closure. His chapter in European football might be closing, but he’s not finished yet. He’s going to a new league, in a new culture, with new goals to chase.
It is, in many ways, the perfect ending for a player who always thrived on challenges. From breaking into Lyon’s first team, to becoming their star, to taking on the Premier League, to leading a struggling Lyon in his second spell, Lacazette never took the easy route. Now he’s heading to the Saudi desert to help build something new, to play in front of fans who will see him as a superstar, to prove that even at 34, he can still make the difference.
So yes, Alexandre Lacazette is joining NEOM S.C. on a free transfer. But it’s not just a transfer. It’s a story. Of ambition. Of change. Of football’s ever-shifting landscape. And of one man who, even in the twilight of his career, refuses to stop moving forward. Arsenal fans will watch from afar, remembering the goals, the celebrations, the leadership. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll cheer for him one last time, even if it’s in a shirt that’s green and white, under the blazing Saudi sun, in a league that is trying to change the world.
