Newcastle United were heavily linked with the now-West Ham United man in 2017.
Newcastle United go in search of a fourth successive Premier League win when West Ham United visit St James’s Park on Saturday.
West Ham have some players who could really hurt Rafa Benitez’s side, most notably Marko Arnautovic.
One player who the Newcastle boss won’t be afraid of, however, is Lucas Perez – and for good reason.
The Spanish striker is struggling in a major way since joining West Ham during the summer, only making five Premier League appearances and not scoring in any of them.
His struggles will come as little surprise to Benitez, who could’ve signed the former Arsenal forward in 2017 but refused to pay the £13 million necessary [Evening Standard].
With a limited budget at Newcastle in recent years, it’s so important that Benitez spends wisely and it looks like his reluctance to budge on Perez is very much justified.
The Irons got him for a reported £4 million [BBC Sport] in the end, but even that would’ve been a mistake by Newcastle, because it’s looking like one from a West Ham perspective.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
