Arsenal have decided to accept a bid from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon for striker Lucas Perez after he failed to win over Unai Emery, according to reports. The 29-year-old joined the Gunners two years ago in a £17m deal, but spent last season on loan at Deportivo after being deemed surplus to requirements by former manager Arsene Wenger.
Emery’s arrival appeared to offer Perez a second chance at the Emirates, with the Spanish boss even having tried to sign his compatriot while in charge of PSG.
Arsenal are keen to cash in and Emery has warned both Perez and fellow striker Danny Welbeck that they face the prospect of receiving very minimal game time next season. Perez still needs some convincing to leave Arsenal, however, and Sporting are struggling to match his salary demands.
To convince Perez to move to Portugal, Sporting will need to offer him around £6.2m a year – a figure that is outside their current pay structure. Nevertheless, they are still hopeful of concluding a deal before the end of the month – with Arsenal free to sell players after Thursday’s Premier League deadline – especially if Emery omits him from his squad.
Arsenal striker Lucas Perez was reportedly available this summer for a bargain fee of just £7million – less than half the £17.1milion paid for his services in 2016 (Sky Sports) – and Wolves should seriously consider an offer.
Italian outlet Correire Di Roma claim Serie A outfit Lazio have been told they must pay a knockdown price of £7million if they want to sign 29-year-old striker Perez.
Perez was brought to north London in the summer of 2016 after shining for Deportivo, but was hardly given a chance at Arsenal. He did, however, managed seven goals and five assists in 21 appearances for the Gunners.
But that was not enough to convince former boss Arsene Wenger to keep him on side last summer, and he was loaned back to his former Spanish club where he scored nine league goals in their fight against the drop.
They suffered relegation, though, and a permanent move back to his old club was thrown on the scrapheap. Lazio are now keen to land the striker, and the bargain £7million fee is likely to tempt them.
But Wolves should do all they can to lure Perez to the Midlands, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in need of a striker to provide competition for new forward Raul Jimenez.
The 55-time Mexico international has joined the club on a season-long loan from Benfica and is expected to lead the line throughout the 2018-19 campaign. Leo Bonatini is also expected to challenge for a place up front.
But other than those two, Wolves have little options up front and the technically-gifted Perez should be considered – who can also play out wide as well as up front and in the number 10 role.
Throughout Perez’s career, it has been obvious that if he is given a regular role in the starting eleven, he will guarantee you goals. Now, Wolves can given him that chance for a tiny fee.
Arsenal star Laurent Koscielny has admitted he is set to leave the club when his contract expires in 2020.
The Frenchman joined the Gunners in 2010 from Lorient and has made over 320 appearances for the club. Koscielny is currently sidelined with an achilles injury and is not expected to return until late 2018 or early 2019. Unai Emery has signed Sokratis Papastathopoulos as cover for Koscielny, while Calum Chambers has been handed a new long-term replacement.
And Koscielny has admitted he’s likely to leave the Gunners when his contract expires in little under two years’ time.
‘I’m under contract until June 2020. Afterwards? I’m thinking of moving on but I do not know where,’ said Koscielny. ‘This is not relevant anyway, I am in England, my family too.’