Lucas Perez has returned to pre-season training early, in the hopes of winning a place in Unai Emery’s squad, according to reports.

TribalFootball report the news that Perez is back and ready for pre-season training, based on quotes from the player’s agency.

Protio Sport announced the news that the forward is hoping to stake his claim at the club in a statement to the media, saying: “Lucas, on July 2nd, begins pre-season with Arsenal. There is interest from some teams, but he is a player of Arsenal and his desire is to succeed there.”

Perhaps more than anybody else at the club, Perez should see Emery’s arrival as an opportunity.

Despite some good performances in his season with Arsenal, the Spaniard never got a consistent run of games. He ended up falling out with manager Arsene Wenger as a result.

Last season, Perez had a decent loan spell at Deportivo La Coruna, directly contributing to 17 goals in 37 games despite their relegation. He also created more chances than anyone in La Liga expect Lionel Messi. Maybe there still would’ve been no way back under Wenger, but under Emery it’s a different story.

It’s now possible for the 29-year-old to take advantage of Danny Welbeck’s participation at the World Cup, winning a spot in the team as a wide-forward in the Englishman’s absence. Let’s see what he can do in the warm-up matches.