da aviator aposta： On transfer deadline day, Arsenal completed the signing of Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez. The 28 year-old forward swapped La Liga for the Premier League when he made his £17.1million move official.
da pinnacle： Perez was heavily linked with Everton and was thought he may be signed by Ronald Koeman’s men to provide back-up should the club depart with prized asset Romelu Lukaku. Failure to re-ignite their interest in Perez saw Arsenal swoop in and sign the Spaniard on a four-year deal.
The Spanish striker was one of Europe’s most formidable front-men last season as he notched up 17 goals in 37 games for Deportivo La Coruna – not bad for a player struggling in the lower end of La Liga.
These are five reasons why we believe Arsenal have made a shrewd move signing Perez.
Experience
Perez shouldn’t need too long to settle into life in England. The deadly hitman is now 28 and has a lot of experience on his side.
Arsenal have been needing someone capable of competing with Olivier Giroud for their starting position and Perez’s experience will make him a great option for helping Arsenal to grind out results in fixtures seemingly lost to them – something which has been their achilles heel for the past decade.
Played in various leagues
Unlike many Spaniards, Perez has ventured out of Spain to ply his trade elsewhere. Successful stints in the Ukraine and Greece have seen him return to Spain and become one of the most feared strikers in La Liga.
Now in the Premier League, Perez has the experience of playing in other leagues which should make his settling-in period a lot quicker than anticipated by many fans.
England will now be his forth different country in just five years.
Versatility in attack
The former Deportivo man is not just a number nine. Despite his size and aggression, Perez has some brilliant footwork that is capable of damaging any defender’s reputation.
Along with his superb hold-up play, Perez is formidable in front of goal and can undoubtedly score goals. Also he has the capability to take players on and provide assists for his team-mates.
More importantly he gives Arsene Wenger another option when it comes to choosing a starting XI every week.
His price-tag
Rarely do you get players in the modern game who score as many goals as Perez has and not sell for an extraordinary sum of money. At £17.1million, the fee paid for the deadly Spanish striker is peanuts in comparison to some of the astonishing sums of money being paid out by some clubs.
If he can score the goals to repay his price-tag, then certainly Perez will be lorded one of Wenger’s better signings in his 20 years as Arsenal manager.
Deadly finishing
At Deportivo last season Perez was formidable in front of goal. 17 goals in 37 games is a very healthy return for a striker in such a poor La Coruna side.
If Perez can reproduce half the quality he showed in Spain then his goals may prove valuable for Arsenal as they aim to have a successful season and go one better than their second placed finish last season.