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Is Lucas Perez’s miserable stint at Arsenal about to come to an abrupt end?
It is fair to say that Lucas Perez hasn’t quite enjoyed the best of times since arriving in the Premier League from Deportivo La Coruna last summer, struggling to make a real dent into the Arsenal side.
All season the 28-year-old has been playing second fiddle to his Arsenal teammates, always behind the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck, and he was only awarded 11 appearances in the Premier League all campaign, equating to just two starts.
Although frustrations have understandably been growing under the surface all season at his distinct lack of game-time, the final nail was put into Perez’s coffin with the arrival of a new striker.
It is undeniable that Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette is the perfect signing for Arsenal this summer but, in agreeing a deal, it all-but ends any chance of Perez reviving a career over in London.
The fact that the French striker has been given Perez’s number nine shirt tells its own story and, according to Spanish news outlet , the Spaniard is now furious about how the Gunners have gone about their business and the way they have treated him. He told the source that he feels ‘cheated’ by the club.
The aforementioned article details the account of a conversation held between Perez, himself, and Arsenal’s transfer negotiator Dick Law last week, with the striker saying: “I want to leave, to play and be happy.
“Last year I barely had any opportunities and when I had them I took advantage of them. And this season is clearly going to be more of the same. I want to fight to go to the national team. I want to play football, but for that I have to leave. I think that the best place for me is at home, with Dépor.”
claimed, just the other day, that Perez’s home-town team – and his side before joining Arsenal – Deportivo La Coruna are happy to offer him a spectacular ten-year-deal to return to his former club.
And it seems that this move is imminent, with Perez unhappy with Wenger:
“They [Arsenal] are not behaving well with me. The thing of taking the shirt number without telling me to give it to a companion, it seems to me the last straw.
“I cannot continue this way. I have given everything, but that has not been reciprocated, so I can’t stand it any longer. I feel cheated. In February I was not allowed to leave for China with the promise that I would play more and after that I had even fewer opportunities.
“But the shirt number is an ugly gesture. On the trip, Lacazette asked the boss and he accepted. Afterwards, he told me.”
It is a big shame that things didn’t work out for Perez at the Emirates as he came to England with potential to succeed, with a reputation for contributing to decent build-up player, as well as scoring goals from inside the area.
A Champions League double away at FC Basel showed he has the raw talent to impress, allied with his sensational volley against Bournemouth to help Arsenal earn a point, but his lack of first-team chances all year meant that he had little opportunity to leave a lasting impression in Wenger’s mind.
Moving back to Deportivo La Coruna seems like the right move for all parties involved – but with Perez set to leave, attention must now turn to ensuring Lacazette can break the number nine curse this season.