Arsenal forward Lucas Perez is expected to be told he can leave this summer, according to reports.

The Evening Standard‘s James Olley makes the claim, writing that Unai Emery is unlikely to keep the 29-year-old around next season. He isn’t the first to write something to that effect, with reports in Spain previously suggesting Perez would be ‘one of the first casualties’ of the new Arsenal era.

There’s nothing concrete just yet, but the signs do seem to suggest the goalscorer is on the way out. You’d hope he at least gets a chance to show what he can do first though.

Last season, Perez went on loan to Deportivo. He scored nine goals and provided eight assists, which isn’t a bad record for a forward in a relegation side. However, it did involve a goal drought lasting almost five months.

Whilst he didn’t always get the chances he wanted in front of goal, Lucas had no trouble creating them for other people. In fact, only Lionel Messi made more chances in La Liga in 2017/18.

Plus, he put together a good run of form at the end of the campaign, suggesting he’s over his mid-season struggles.

From the looks of things, it’s now all down to what Unai Emery makes of the forward, and whether he wants to keep him around.

In recent weeks, Lazio reportedly asked Arsenal about Perez’s availability, just as they did last summer. The player’s agent hasn’t given anything away about what next season holds, but you can certainly see why he might have reason to prioritise a move to Italy if he does leave.