Arsenal transfer news: Lucas Perez's £17m deal close after Arsene Wenger's change of heart

Everton had been close to signing the striker from Deportivo La Coruna, after Arsenal did not want him, but a late change of heart means he will likely head for the Emirates next week

Lucas Perez is close to a £17m move to Arsenal from Deportivo La Coruna (Getty)

Arsenal are close to finalising a deal to sign Spanish striker Lucas Perez for £17million after a dramatic change of heart from Arsene Wenger.

Everton were on the brink of signing Perez from Deportivo La Coruna late last week, after agreeing to pay his release clause, and reaching a four-year deal with the player.

Arsenal had watched Perez at length last season, as he scored 17 La Liga goals for Deportivo, the best season of his career. But Arsenal were initially reluctant to spend money on a player who some at the club doubted was up to the level of competing in the Champions League and for the Premier League title.

Perez, who turns 28 next month, has never been capped by Spain and never played in the Champions League. His last season with Deportivo was the only one of his career in which he has scored more than 10 league goals. He has had spells playing in Ukraine for Karpaty Lviv and in Greece for PAOK.

Steve Walsh, Everton’s new director of football, had watched Perez last season and was initially interested late last season in signing him for Leicester City. When Walsh moved to Everton he tried to put another move together to sign the Spanish striker. Although there was interest from Sevilla and Valencia, Perez was keen to come to Goodison Park, for what would be his last chance to move to a big foreign club.

Perez soon agreed a four-year deal at Everton while Bill Kenwright agreed to pay the £17m release clause for the player. But over the weekend, with other targets out of reach, Arsenal decided to go for Perez, despite some initial reservations that he was good enough for them. The start of the season has shown that Arsenal need a new striker quickly, with Danny Welbeck injured until Christmas, Olivier Giroud not ready yet and Alexis Sanchez not a natural number nine. With fans imploring Wenger to spend money, Perez gives them the chance to do that. They are still thrashing out the details of the deal but the sticking point is how Arsenal pay the £17m clause, not whether they pay it.

Arsenal’s salary offer to Perez was is much better than Everton’s, and the two parties are expected to eventually agree on terms of roughly £70,000 per week. Perez is financially secure, after his spells in Greece and Ukraine, but he has always wanted to play in the Champions League and that is why he has decided to move to Arsenal rather than Everton. Although Deportivo play Real Betis away on Friday night, Perez is unlikely to play, and he should be an Arsenal player by early next week.