Messidependencia has been an unfair label thrown at Barcelona repeatedly down the years, suggesting that the only reason the club are so successful is because they have the Argentine great.
Of course, he helps them a great deal, but it’s not as if the team would cease to be successful without the player.
Having agreed to sell their star man to Arsenal during the summer transfer window, everything has fallen apart in their scoring goals department.
Even the player’s replacement, Stoke City’s Joselu, suffered an injury almost immediately, and is now facing three months out with a knee problem.
The most striking point is that since Perez joined Arsenal in August, Deportivo La Coruna haven’t scored a goal. Not one, nothing.
Matches against Real Betis, Athletic Club Bilbao and Alaves have all come and gone without goals.
Spanish newspaper Marca say nobody at Depor wants to talk about ‘dependencia del exfutbolista’, but it’s clearly a very real issue. It’s not just the actual Lucas Perez goals Depor are missing, but his all round play too.
There’s a reason the fans adored him.
Deportivo La Coruna’s solution to the current drought is Ryan Babel. Yes, that Ryan Babel. The former Liverpool player has signed on a short term deal and whilst he’s always been talented, a lot will depend on how the Dutchman starts his Depor career. It’s asking a lot.
Lucas Perez loved Depor just as much as they loved him, and his agent made it clear earlier this year he wouldn’t leave the club for a side depositing his clause. For a transfer to happen, everything had to be cordial and the attacker was insistent on leaving the club on good terms.
Maybe if Depor had tried a little harder, used emotional blackmail, then Lucas Perez would still be theirs, but the club recognised the wonderful opportunity Arsenal presented, and they needed the money.
That’s left them now looking to Ryan Babel as a saviour.
