The United manager spent six months scouting the France international with a view to taking him to Old Trafford – but Mourinho decided the player was not lethal enough in front of goal and chose to sign Romelu Lukaku instead.
Lacazette, 26, has now joined Arsenal from Lyon in a club-record deal worth £52million, with Wenger watching him score 100 goals in 203 league appearances for Lyon.
But a United source said: “Lacazette was followed because he was top scorer in French football – but a lot of his goals were penalties [10 of his 27 goals last season came from the spot].
“In the end he wasn’t considered because he has no stamina, no physical impact and isn’t a big game player.”
United completed their signing of Lukaku from Everton last night in a £100m deal, with Wayne Rooney travelling in the opposite direction.
Belgium international Lukaku, 24, met up with his new team-mates in Los Angeles on Sunday when the United squad landed in America for their pre-season tour.
He has signed a farewell message to Toffees fans, adding that it was an honour to play at Goodison Park.
He said: “I want to say a big thank you to all the people involved at Everton. I want to thank the fans for your support throughout the four years we’ve spent together.
“You guys helped me through all my games and I can proudly say it was an honour to play in front of you.
“To the staff at the the stadium and training ground, thank you for making me feel at home from the first day I walked in. To my team-mates it was great to play with you guys. To technical staff thank you for helping me become a better player.”
