Lucas Pérez: 'Arsenal didn't want me to come to Depor'
The striker returned to his boyhood club on a season-long loan, and made it clear to The Gunners that Galicia was his preferred destination.
Lucas Pérez passed his medical in A Coruña on Friday morning, and could not contain his delight upon returning to his boyhood club on a season-long loan from Arsenal.
Arsenal did not want Pérez do join Depor
“I’ve had a lot of good days in A Coruña, and today is one of them. I’m really happy that everything has been resolved in the end,” smiled Lucas.
The 29-year-old forward left Galicia for north London at the end of 2016 summer transfer window for €20m, yet he found opportunities hard to come by in the Premier League.
“They paid a lot of money and it’s normal that they want to defend their interests. They [Arsenal] had deals closed with other club and they didn’t want me to come here, but I made it clear that I wanted to return to Depor.”
The boyhood Deportivo fan had more lucrative offers elsewhere, but had his heart set on a return home.
“I have always said that money doesn’t give me happiness. I move based on my emotions. When I went to Arsenal, it was a good decision, even though they didn’t give me opportunities.”
Lucas Pérez and Florin Andone in attack
Equally significant for Deportivo as the signing of Lucas was the retention of Florin Andone. The striker was subject to strong interest from Brighton in the closing stages of the transfer window, but the Branquiazul maintained that he would not leave unless a club met his €30m buyout clause.
Lucas is looking forward to lining up alongside the Romanian: “He’s a great striker, I had the pleasure of meeting him and he seems a good lad. He has scored important goals and had great games, it will be a good strike-force.”
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