If Lucas Perez has been treated badly by Arsenal then he only has himself to blame.
I notice that many Arsenal blogs have come out on Lucas' side, but I am taking the opposite view. While he looked good in the few appearance he made for the club, he started moaning about not being in the team pretty much as soon as he arrived at the club. That's not the Arsenal way.
He should not be surprised that his number 9 squad number was given to Alexandre Lacazette. He did not travel with the Arsenal squad to Australia and the Far East, so it is obvious that the decision to sell him had already been made.
However, he is still is still trying to put the blame at Arsenal's door. Spanish newspaper La Voz De Galicia quoted him as saying:
"I feel cheated.
"In February I was not allowed to leave for a move to China with the promise that I would play more and after that I had even fewer opportunities.
"But the shirt number is an ugly gesture (new signing Alexandre Lacazette was given his number 9 shirt). On our pre-season trip, Lacazette asked the boss and he accepted. I was only told afterwards.
“Last year he (Wenger) told me that he understood why I was upset. I think this season things will get worse, so help me out.
"Since I have been a professional footballer, I've felt happiest in Deportivo, surrounded by my family and my friends. Put yourself in my place.
"I know I have chances to play for the national team and at the World Cup. But for that I have to play and I have to be happy. That's why I want to go back to Coruna.
"Arsenal are not behaving well with me. To take the shirt number without telling me and to give it to a companion -- it seems to me that it is the last straw.
"I can't continue this way. I have given everything, but that has not been reciprocated, so I can't stand it any longer. I want to leave and be happy."
If Arsenal did refuse him a move to China and promise him more playing time, that is poor form on our part. But given the way he has constantly slagged off Arsenal in the media from the off, it is hard to believe anything he says. We have no way of knowing what has gone on behind closed doors. perhaps the offer came with a proviso that he stopped criticising the club and Arsene Wenger. Perhaps he became a disruptive influence in the dressing room. We will most likely never know.
Now, Perez's agent, Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle, has said that Arsenal should accept an offer of €9 million for the player because his value has declined while he has been sitting on the Arsenal bench. I wonder if he will be using the same argument when he is negotiating Lucas' salary?
Arsenal paid €21m for Lucas Perez only 12 months ago. I'd be happy to see Lucas Perez leave at this point, despite his obvious talent, but Arsenal should stick to their guns and wait until a suitable offer is made. And if not, he can rot in the reserves or be sent out on loan.
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