Should Newcastle pay £13.4m for Perez to beat Fenerbahce to striker?

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Fenerbahce lead the race to sign Arsenal’s Lucas Perez but Newcastle can sign the striker if they agree to pay £13.4m asking price.

The agent of Lucas Perez says that Fenerbahce are the current favourites to sign his client, who is looking to leave Arsenal after just a year.

According to the Daily Express, Newcastle United are keen to keep Perez in the Premier League as they search for a new striker, but Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle claims Turkey is the most likely destination currently.

Lucas Perez of Arsenal .

“We are in talks with Fenerbahce but Arsene Wenger does not want a loan move,” Lovelle told TurkishFootball.

“Wenger wants €15m [£13.4m] for Lucas. He still has another three-years on his contract so Arsenal hold all the cards.

“Fenerbahce, two Spanish teams and a Bundesliga side have made an offer for Lucas.

“Fenerbahce are the most serious and we have been in talks for two months.”

It seems from Lovelle’s comments that the Magpies have not actually made a move to sign Perez as yet, but at £13.4m should they just agree to pay the fee to beat other interested parties to the 28-year-old?

Manager Rafa Benitez is yet to bring in any new signings upfront this summer as he prepares his team for life back in the English top flight and there are doubts over whether Dwight Gayle, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ayoze Perez will provide enough firepower to keep them up.

While Perez struggled for game time during his first season with the Gunners following a 2016 switch from Deportivo La Coruna, he still scored seven goals in 21 appearances – six of which were starts.

Arsenal’s Spanish forward Lucas Perez (C) celebrates after scoring a goal as Basel’s Colombian defender Eder Balanta reacts (R).

Deportivo are among those believed to be interested in the Spaniard and little surprise when he netted 19 in 39 games for them in 2015/16.

With the extortionate fees being paid by English clubs for talent this summer, Newcastle may regret passing up the opportunity to sign Perez for £13.4m.