West Ham United sold Spanish striker Lucas Perez to La Liga outfit Deportivo Alaves for just £2.2m.
A reminder; West Ham United sold Lucas Perez for just £2.2 million in June (Sky).
Back then, the Hammers probably didn’t expect that a striker who never truly convinced in claret and blue would be in the form of his life four months later.
But as Perez channelled his inner Arjen Robben and whipped a stunning left-footed shot into the top corner to secure a hard-fought draw for Alaves at home to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, the 31-year-old reminded all of his critics why Arsene Wenger once paid £17 million to bring him to Arsenal (Mail).
Perez started the 2019/20 season with six goalless games as Alaves toiled at the bottom of La Liga.
But talk about a change in fortunes. Perez has now found the net in five successive matches in Spain’s top flight, following up a stunning volley against Celta Vigo with an even better effort to stop Diego Simeone’s Atleti from going top of the table.
The Galician-born goal-machine plundered a career-best 17 for hometown club Deportivo La Coruna in a career-best 2015/16 campaign with his rapid pace and brilliant movement making him look like a Mediterranean answer to our own Jamie Vardy.
But if Perez continues to make finding the net look easy from any range and any angle, there’s no reason why he cannot better that tally for Alave in his first season back in Spain.
Not bad for a man West Ham couldn’t wait to sell.
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