According to latest reports, West Ham United are planning a bid this summer for Arsenal forward Lucas Perez. Arsene Wenger hasn’t been very keen on giving the Spaniard first team chances very often, with many claiming the player to be dissatisfied with it; and the London club looks likely to take advantage of it.
West Ham’s attack got a late revival this season with Andy Carroll returning from the injury. After Simone Zaza pretty much left it in ruins, Bilic was lucky to have Michail Antonio to control the mast temporarily. And the Croat manager won’t make the same mistake again. Perez has shown immense quality in his game in the little opportunities he has got and Bilic thinks he would fit into their squad quite well.
However, it is highly unlikely that Arsenal would sell the Spaniard just one season after buying him, especially when he hasn’t been disappointing at all. Quite interestingly, Arsenal fans and critics have highly praised the 28-year-old and used his irregularity as a weapon to further criticise the manager, who has been under huge pressure owing to his side’s underperformance.
Perez has been mostly used a substitute so far. In the Premier League, Wenger has brought him from the bench nine times out of his 11 appearances, where he has scored one goal. In their Champions League campaign, the player has played thrice, twice from the bench and has still managed to score three goals and assist twice. He has been more regular in the FA Cup and EFL Cup, where he has scored 3 goals in seven outings.
Many have drawn his scenario to Arsenal’s Joel Campbell, who, despite being impressive in the Arsenal shirt was left on the bench by Wenger repeatedly and was finally loaned off to Portuguese side Sporting CP at the beginning of the season. Perez, however, possesses way more quality than the Costa Rican and has shown some sublime finishing skills under pressure.
The best finisher in the Arsenal squad has been Danny Welbeck, while the most technically-rich player is Santi Cazorla. And the perfect way to describe Perez would be combining their attributes. Good pace blended with exquisite ball control makes Perez a highly-rated forward. Competing with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Welbeck and Olivier Giroud is not an easy task and the manager seems to give him time to adapt to the league.
And although he would be a tremendous addition to the West Ham side without a doubt, a move is highly unlikely.
