Lucas Perez has reportedly handed in a formal transfer request just hours after Arsene Wenger confirmed that the forward would be leaving Arsenal this summer, just one year after he signed from Deportivo.
Lucas, who signed for the Gunners for a reported £17m last year, has been heavily linked with a move away from Arsenal this summer after becoming increasingly unhappy with his lack of playing time and now, according to Goal‘s Chris Wheatley, the Spaniard’s agent has confirmed that he’s handed in a transfer request.
The news comes the same day as Wenger confirmed that Lucas would most likely be leaving north London this summer, whether that be on loan or permanently, with rumours claiming that the Gunners have slapped him with a £13.4m price tag, something else that Lucas’s agent confirmed.
“Yes because we have a congestion of strikers. I don’t like to lose him because, for me, he’s a top-quality striker but we have many strikers,” Wenger said earlier on Thursday.
“At some stage, too much competition is not competition anymore. You cannot give the chance to everybody, so if he finds a satisfying solution at least for a short time, he will do it.”
The final straw seemed to be when Arsenal handed new record signing, Alexandre Lacazette, the #9 shirt, which had previously been Lucas’s, without informing him first. According to his agent, he was ‘angry and upset’. However, it’s been widely reported since the end of last season that the 28-year-old would be looking for regular football elsewhere very soon.
“He [transfer negotiator Dick Law] called me and when they gave the number it was already on the Arsenal website,” Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle told Goal.
“I thought it was not very elegant that they did not at least tell the player first.”
Lucas scored seven goals and assisted five in 21 appearances last season.
Newcastle have been linked, as have his former club Deportivo. However, Lucas’s £13.4m transfer transfer fee seems to be a real stumbling block, as the clubs that are said to be interested either can’t afford this or aren’t willing to pay it.