{"id":421,"date":"2016-09-09T02:00:26","date_gmt":"2016-09-09T06:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=421"},"modified":"2016-09-08T19:15:05","modified_gmt":"2016-09-08T23:15:05","slug":"lucas-perez-arsenals-alternative-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2016\/09\/09\/lucas-perez-arsenals-alternative-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Lucas Perez: Arsenal’s Alternative Threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arsenal<\/strong> signing forwards as of late has been a tedious process. Lukas Podolski<\/strong> never\u00a0seemed to never suit\u00a0Arsenal’s style, Danny Welbeck<\/strong> has had a torrid injury record and Arsene Wenger’s\u00a0<\/strong>persistence\u00a0to find another Nicolas Anelka<\/strong> in the bizarre purchases\u00a0of\u00a0Yaya Sanogo<\/strong> and Park Chu-Young has not worked out<\/strong>. Oliver Giroud<\/strong> has been Wenger’s recent best striker purchase, even if he continues to frustrate with his sometimes poor goal scoring periods.<\/p>\n

After recent seasons of witnessing\u00a0strikers miss crucial chances, no wonder why\u00a0Arsenal fans crave a high quality striker. Alexandre Lacazette<\/strong>, Gonzalo Higuain, Jamie Vardy<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Alvaro Morata<\/strong> were\u00a0rumoured targets\u00a0but none of those deals came to pass. Instead, Arsenal purchased Deportivo La Coruna’s<\/strong> Lucas Perez<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A relative unknown player to English football fans, Lucas\u00a0arrives in North London with a fine goalscoring reputation. At struggling Deportivo, he was their star man last season with 17 La Liga goals and eight assists, helping retain their La Liga<\/strong> status.<\/p>\n

His two seasons at Deportivo rebooted a journeyman career.\u00a0Everton<\/strong> and Sevilla<\/strong> approached him before Arsenal swooped in. Perez’s signing makes a lot of sense for Arsenal; arguably their only reliable striker option is Oliver Giroud and with Danny Welbeck injured, Yaya Sanogo\u00a0failing to flatter\u00a0and Alexis<\/strong> unable to play upfront, he is a smart buy for multiple reasons.<\/p>\n

Lucas Perez – Arsenal’s Alternative Threat<\/h4>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0niLHMKi974<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course the major talking point this summer was Arsenal being snubbed by Jamie Vardy<\/strong> but given Lucas’ style, this is not a bitter pill to swallow.\u00a0As a striker, Lucas is quick on and off the ball, direct, chases down defenders and loose balls and seems to enjoy being a nuisance. His high\u00a0work\u00a0rate and\u00a0continuous pressing gives Arsenal an alternative threat, something they have been lacking lately.<\/p>\n

Fellow new summer signing Shkodran Mustafi<\/strong> witnessed his talent first hand last season for Valencia,<\/strong> remarking that he is “uncomfortable to play against” and he will be important for Arsenal’s season<\/a>. There are apparent parallels to Vardy so losing out on the Leicester<\/strong> forward\u00a0is not in Wenger’s mind a complete loss but rather a suitable solution to Arsenal’s pressing problem while also saving money.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Lucas can either be a leading striker or play as a supporting attacker. With Giroud likely to remain\u00a0as Arsenal’s main striker, Perez can effectively play\u00a0off him with his sharp passing, strong link-up play\u00a0and ability of retaining the ball. Giroud can only thrive off someone alongside him, leading to more goals from the bearded\u00a0Frenchman\u00a0and easing pressure off him.<\/p>\n

As a lone striker, Perez can suddenly create chances even with minimal service\u00a0or lead a counter attack with his blistering acceleration. While\u00a0Deportivo lacked midfield creativity, Mesut \u00d6zil’s<\/strong> creative genius alongside Santi Cazorla<\/strong> and Aaron Ramsey<\/strong> will allow Perez to\u00a0thrive as an Arsenal\u00a0striker.<\/p>\n

Fans frustrated with Alexis’ ineffectiveness as a\u00a0striker will enjoy Perez’ constant pressing and forcing defenders into making mistakes. Even if he fails to become a consistent starter, he\u00a0can be utilised as an impact substitute and given his history scoring in important fixtures, he will flourish in big games.<\/p>\n

Critics will downplay the Perez signing because he is not an expensive striker and in fairness, they have a point. Arsenal have been screaming for a world-class centre-forward since Robin Van Persie’s<\/strong> departure\u00a0but Lucas is a suitable signing for an Arsenal team needing an alternative threat.<\/p>\n

A versatile player who supports strikers and can lead counter attacks or be substituted late into a game desperate for a last minute winner, with a blossoming reputation and potential to influence Arsenal’s silverware hunt, he could be Ars\u00e8ne Wenger’s most canny signing in a while. For Arsenal’s sake, he can only hope Lucas Perez quickly settles and become a nuisance for Premier League<\/strong> defences.<\/p>\n

main photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n