Arsenal: Lucas Perez an increasingly odd and confusing absence

Lucas Perez was shipped out on loan during the summer due to an overstock of attacking players. Was this decision the right one considering Arsenal’s current options?

The story of Lucas Perez and how he was treated is one that not many Arsenal fans will be proud of. After being purchased as a bit of a panic buy, the signs from the onset were not good for the Spaniard.

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Despite poor performances from Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck at different points of last season, Lucas was never really given a real shot at earning the starting role up front for the Gunners. Limited to appearances in the secondary competitions and only two Premier League starts, it was easy to understand his frustration.

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The situation only worsened over the summer: according to reports, new signing Alexandre Lacazette was given Lucas’ number-nine shirt without even informing the Spaniard. This was the last straw for the frustrated Perez and he demanded a move away from the club.

Perez, though, throughout the year, directly contributed to 14 goals in just 10 starts. Despite being underused, he always managed to affect the game in a positive way. He outscored and assisted both Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi last season, with the latter having significantly more playing time.

This season, while Perez has been out on loan in La Liga with Deportiva La Coruna, he has continued this trend. A goal contribution of five in 13 starts may not set the world alight, but it is more than current forwards Iwobi and Welbeck have managed in North London — three and four-goal contributions respectively.

The pair looked lost last Sunday against Bournemouth. It got me thinking that Perez could not have been much worse had he started in that game for Arsenal. He can play both up front and out wide in the 3-4-3 formation, and his positional versatility, allied with his attacking nous would have been far more beneficial for a team bereft of creativity and ingenuity.

Indeed, Perez has created more big chances in a struggling Deportivo side than both Iwobi and Welbeck. In a creative side like Arsenal, had Lucas not gone out on loan, it is difficult to imagine him failing to better his current attacking output.

Personally, I would have rather seen Iwobi leave on loan in the summer, with Perez remaining at the club. The youngster could have gained some well-needed confidence with a run of starts at a smaller club, and Perez could have been given a fair shot to build on a promising first season in North London.

But as it has turned out, Wenger has given blind faith and loyalty to some of his players (Iwobi and Welbeck), while unfairly shipping out others (Gabriel and Lucas). Such clear favouritism does not cover Wenger in any glory and continues to frustrate fans, and pundits, alike.

I would love to see Perez given one final chance next season at Arsenal. The likely reality, however, is that he will be permanently sold to Deportivo once the current season ends, and we will see the back of him for good.

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While players like Theo Walcott were given ample opportunities to impress without doing so, the story of Perez’s Arsenal career will always be one of a lack of chances and game time. Most would agree Perez deserved better than the treatment he received at our club. I certainly would.

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