Back in 2019, Crystal Palace signed Lucas Perri from São Paulo on a loan deal. The goalkeeper only spent six months in London, not making any official appearances, and soon returned to Brazil.
A lot has happened in his career since then. In 2022, he moved to Náutico, and with great performances there, he soon joined Botafogo. That’s where his career had a meteoric rise.
Perri is a star in a team which is now fighting for the league title, and had his first call-up to play for Brazil. And it turns out his time at Crystal Palace was now recalled in an interview with UOL.
The outlet had been recalling Perri’s career, and asked him about his loan with the Eagles. He said it was a great experience for him, and he doesn’t seem to feel sorry for not having played there.
“That period I was able to spend there was a huge experience, not just as an athlete, but as a person. I went completely out of my comfort zone, to another continent, another language. It was very challenging and I was able to live in a different environment, which opened my mind.”
Crystal Palace may be happy to have spent just €17.5m to sign Dean Henderson from Manchester United this summer, but it seems if they’d believed in Perri’s potential then there could have been a different outcome.
