Lucas Perez finally gave his public goodbye to Deportivo La Coruna fans, and perhaps surprisingly the whole thing didn’t end up in a flood of tears.
Perez and Depor have a real emotional connection, despite him only playing at the club for a couple of seasons. They brought him back to Spanish football after spells in the Ukraine and Greece, and he provided the performances to say thank you.
An added, and important, bonus is that Perez is a local Galicia boy and so was always likely to connect well with fans of the club.
A condition of Perez leaving Depor was that he wanted to go through the front door. Therefore any club who wanted to buy him, had to negotiate with Depor rather than pay the player’s clause in a hostile move.
Quoted by Spanish newspaper Marca, Perez has explained: “When a team like Arsenal reaches for you, very few people can say no. Playing in the Champions League was always a dream. It’s a very good farewell.
“For me it is a very important step in my career, to go to an important team that has bet a lot on me.”
“Nobody on the street told me anything other than appreciation. I say that Arsenal has won fans with my signing… It’s a good deal for everyone.”
If Lucas Perez also brings goals, as well as extra fans from Galicia, then Arsenal will be thrilled.
