Arsenal have reportedly joined Everton in the race to secure the services of Deportivo de La Coruna forward Lucas Perez.
Everton looked all but certain to complete a move for Lucas Perez, but Arsenal have intervened at the eleventh hour and reportedly now hold the upper hand in the race to sign the player.
According to Simon Jones of Mail Online, Everton were prepared to match the buy-out clause of £16.9 million for the striker, but the negotiations for the deal have been complicated. Taking advantage of this, Arsenal have tabled a rival offer hoping to snatch Perez away from the clutches of Everton.
Arsenal have been tracking the 27-year-old for over a year and it now seems that they may finally get their man. Arsene Wenger, who has been relatively quiet in the transfer window, may soon complete his fourth signing of the summer.
Due to Arsenal’s long list of injuries and lack of quality players to lead the line, signing a striker has become the top priority for them. Olivier Giroud, the club’s number one striker at the moment, had a barren run of 14 straight games last season which resulted in Arsenal falling out of the title race.
Even at the recently concluded European Championships, the French striker had an array of creative players around him, but still failed to apply the finishing touches. It seems that there is a tremendous amount of pressure on the striker at the Emirates and it could be reduced if another striker is added to shoulder the goalscoring responsibilities.
Would Perez be a good signing for Arsenal?
Perez has already started this season brightly as he scored and assisted in Deportivo’s 2-1 victory over Eibar. He played a crucial role in winning three points for his side and could be a beneficial addition to Arsene Wenger’s team.
He has an eye for goal and is a quick runner with the ball. His passing ability is exquisite as he creates chances for his teammates by dropping deep. He is also decent holding on to the ball, and is known for his sharp movement with and without the ball at his feet.
In La Liga last season, Perez made 35 starts and scored 17 goals. He also provided another 8 assists and played a key role in his side’s desperate attempt to avoid relegation. At Arsenal, he could thrive with the number of creative players around him and could go on to become the striker that the fans as well as the manager have been looking for since the departure of Robin van Persie to Manchester United.
