Arsene Wenger and Arsenal have been scouting Alexandre Lacazette for 10 years, reveals French football expert Julien Laurens.
The Gunners are set to complete a club record move for the Frenchman this week, ending years of speculation.
Arsenal are expected to smash the £42.5m they spent on Mesut Ozil in 2013 in order to capture the man who scored 37 goals in 45 games last season.
The 26-year-old will become the north Londoner's second signing of the summer following free transfer Sead Kolasinac.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Laurens said: "I think it's a good signing for many reasons. He's 26 years of age.
"The first time that Gilles Grimandi, the former Arsenal player and French scout for Arsenal, went to see Alexandre Lacazette on behalf of Arsene Wenger and Arsenal was 10 years ago when Lacazette was 16.
"For those 10 years they've looked at him so many times, year after year, not always convinced. Sometimes it was a yes, sometimes it was a 'we're not sure' let's wait a little bit more.
"This summer, finally, Wenger is convinced that this is the right time for him to come to Arsenal.
"He's matured enough, he's improved enough, his all-round game improved massively last season."