Everton could miss on Lucas Perez, with Arsenal also keen to sign the striker.
Lucas Perez in action for Deportivo La Coruna
According to El Confidencial and the Daily Mail, Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez is closing in on a move to Arsenal, after the Gunners hijacked Everton’s move for the player.
Perez, 27, hit 17 goals and eight assists in a superb season for Deportivo last season, and was one of the main reasons why they managed to stay in La Liga and avoid relegation to the second tier.
The Spaniard appears to have found his home with the Galician side, as he had very little success during spells with Rayo Vallecano, Karpaty Lviv, Dynamo Kiev and PAOK, but is now one of the top strikers in Spain.
Many clubs have been linked with Perez throughout the summer transfer window, but Spanish newspaper Sport reported on Wednesday that Everton were willing to activate his £17m release clause, and were willing to offer him over £32,000-a-week to make the move to Goodison Park.
Arsene Wenger and Ronald Koeman
The Toffees’ new Director of Football Steve Walsh is a huge fan of Perez and wanted to land him with former club Leicester City, but he may be about to miss out on the striker again.
With less than a week to go until the transfer window slams shut, El Confidencial and the Daily Mail both claim that Arsenal have now made a last-gasp move to sign Perez – and they look likely to land him.
The Gunners have been urged to sign a big-name striker all summer, but Arsene Wenger has so far only brought in defender Rob Holding, midfielder Granit Xhaka and young Japanese striker Takuma Asano.
Now though, Arsenal have indicated to Deportivo that they will match Perez’s £17m release clause, and is allegedly expected to join the Gunners before the transfer deadline, with Valencia even being told that a deal with Arsenal was close.
Possibly a late bloomer, Perez starred last season both with his goal return and his ability to create chances for his team-mates, and he could prove to be a smart addition for Arsenal – but, if true, the news will serve as a major blow to Everton as they look for a striker to compete with Romelu Lukaku.
Would you prefer to see Perez sign for Arsenal or Everton?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
