What’s the story?
Arsenal forward Lucas Perez is set to leave the club in search of regular football after limited appearances for the Gunners first team. According to reports, the Spanish striker wants to play regularly to ensure he is selected in the Spain squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia.
The striker has impressed whenever he has played this season for Arsenal but has found it difficult to break into the first team, being behind the likes of Oliver Giroud, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck in the pecking order at the North London club.
In case you didn’t know
Arsenal bought Perez from Deportivo La Coruna for a reported fee of £17.1 million in August 2016. The 28-year-old Spaniard has made 17 appearances for the Gunners and has scored eight goals while racking up five assists as well.
Despite his chances being limited, the striker averages a goal every 133 minutes for Arsenal – this includes a brace he scored against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup and a hat-trick against Basel in the UEFA Champions League group stages. The striker scored his first Premier League goal in Arsenal’s 3-3 draw with Bournemouth earlier in January this year.
The heart of the matter
Arsene Wenger has not selected the Spanish striker very often this season despite his excellent goal-scoring record. It is believed that the French boss met with Perez earlier in the season to discuss his situation after the striker told him he was unhappy with the lack of starts he was given.
The Spaniard was reportedly confused as to why he was not given a consistent run in the first-team despite impressing during his cameo experiences throughout the season.
What next?
Perez will have a number of suitors in both England and Spain because of his proven goal-scoring record. He missed Arsenal’s trip to Bayern Munich with a minor hamstring injury, but might feature for the club in their upcoming FA Cup tie against Sutton United, provided he is fit to play.
Also Read: It's time Arsene Wenger puts his faith in Arsenal's overlooked frontman Lucas Perez
Sportskeeda’s take
The Spaniard is actually a good striker who has simply not been given enough game time by Arsene Wenger. He has impressed in all the games he has played for Arsenal, but despite this, the French boss has refused to play him regularly.
Surely with his aim of making La Roja’s 2018 World Cup squad, he will need to play regular football next season. It thus looks like a necessary move for the player who is not getting any younger and is a handy goal-scorer.
