As per the Liverpool Echo, wantaway and out-of-favour Arsenal striker Lucas Perez could be heading back to Deportivo de La Coruña after a nightmare of a (single) season at the Emirates.
The Spaniard was a target of the Toffees’ last summer before the Gunners beat them to a £17.1million move.
However, Perez couldn’t hit the ground running at north London, playing 11 league games, with 2 coming as starts and scoring once.
The club hinted at what looked like a willingness to get rid of him as they handed his number 9 shirt to summer arrival Alexandre Lacazette without his consent.
Everton once again kept tabs on Perez once it became clear he was likely to be sold, but despite also being reportedly targeted by Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen, Valencia, Levante and Galatasaray, the 28-year-old favours a move back home.
Deportivo boss Pepe Mel revealed that the club’s president confirmed Perez’s imminent return to him.
In his words: “Tino Fernandez has told me that Lucas Perez will be here next week, and he is very stubborn. I have no choice but to believe him.”
Perez caught the eyes of the public after firing in 17 goals in 36 La Liga games for Deportivo in 2015-16, and it’s believed he might have replicated a form close to that in an Arsenal shirt were he given enough playing minutes.
Could he have fared any better at the Goodison Park?
Unfortunately, that will never get to be known, but such a quick-witted and nippy player with impressive finishing prowess and link-up play has all it takes to settle perfectly well with the Toffees’ style.
