Lucas Perez claims that Arsenal didn’t want him to move back to Deportivo on deadline day but he was keen to return.

Lucas completed a move back to his former club, Deportivo, on deadline day and while it’s only a season-long loan move, the 28-year-old claims that Arsenal weren’t too keen on handing him back to the La Liga team. Instead, they wanted him to go elsewhere.

“Arsenal have to defend their interests and their first intention was not to return to Depor, to go to another club. They had closed deals with other clubs, but I made it clear that my intention was to return,” said Lucas, reports Sport.

He also said, “Arsenal had closed deals with many clubs, but I made it clear that I wanted to come here. I really want to talk to Tino to tell me what he did to unlock the situation.

“The march to Arsenal was a good decision, although I was not given the opportunity I think I deserved.”

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Adding, “It’s a very happy day, I’m very happy to be able to be where I wanted.” 

Arsenal only signed the forward from Depor for £17m a year ago, so it’s understandable that the Gunners wouldn’t want to just hand the player back considering the Spanish club would make a massive profit.

They have to pay a reported £4m loan fee, which is convenient since Arsenal were allegedly asking for just over £13m – the difference between the loan fee and what the Gunners originally paid – for Deportivo to sign Lucas outright again earlier in the window.

The Spaniard, who made just 11 Premier League appearances for the Gunners, began pushing for a move a while ago when it became clear that he wasn’t moving any higher up the pecking order. Especially after the club spent £52m on Alexandre Lacazette.

Despite links with the likes of Newcastle and Everton, which, as Lucas says, Arsenal would have preferred he moved to, the forward always seemed to want a return to his former team.

Well, now he’s got it.

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