Arsenal: Lucas Perez Could Be Biting At Arsene Wenger’s Bait

Arsenal signed Lucas Perez with a blank slate and a world of opportunity but it has been more the former than the latter. Yet now things have changed?

Arsenal signed Lucas Perez in the late summer amidst a massive striker crisis and before they knew that Alexis Sanchez was their guy for the job. Before we knew what had happened, Lucas was a peripheral figure with just about zero chance of ever getting that starting No. 9 role that his shirt hinted at.

Related Story: 10 Reasons Wenger's One More Year Makes Sense

And Lucas noticed. He was very outspoken about how he expected something more at Arsenal than what he had received. Then, his agent spoke up about how his client was not happy with his playing time. He did retract those statements, denying that they ever happened, but they were believable given the circumstances.

Now all of a sudden, with a couple of months left in the season, Lucas is singing a different song. He seems more dedicated than ever and even wants Wenger to stay on.

I can’t help but cry foul. Something doesn’t add up. It is reminiscent of Joel Campbell last year. Before he really got his big chance, which led to nothing, the Costa Rican admitted to wanting to stay at Arsenal and fight for his spot. Which is almost exactly what Lucas just said.

“I have to be patient and continue to fight,” were his exact words.

Meanwhile, there is this blast from the past: “I keep fighting for my dream,” Campbell said back in November of 2015. He later added “you need to be patient.”

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

What ended up happening to Campbell was a season of glorious productivity followed by an unjustifiable stint on the bench.

I can’t help but think that Wenger is behind all of this “I’m staying to fight” that turns slowly into a slow disappearance. Wenger has a way with words. I mean, he was spitting straight poetry to get Granit Xhaka to Arsenal.

It’s very possible that he is the one telling Campbell and Lucas – just be patient and fight. The chances will come. The problem is that Wenger is so embedded in his usual cast of characters that no matter the chances they take, even if they are far and away the superior option (Campbell vs Iwobi. Lucas vs Walcott/Iwobi) he is still going to stick to his formula.

Next: Arsenal's Potential XI Under Thomas Tuchel

Lucas may be optimistic and we should respect that. But it’s hard to imagine a future for him at the Emirates. Same goes with Campbell. But I love being proven wrong in situations like these.