Arsenal's Arsene Wenger agrees with Lucas Perez/Jamie Vardy comparison
Saturday 27 August 2016 12:21, UK
Arsene Wenger feels Lucas Perez could bring the skill set that Arsenal missed out on when they failed to complete a move for Jamie Vardy.
Perez is set to become an Arsenal player before the summer transfer window closes, with a £17.1m fee having reportedly been agreed between the Premier League club and Deportivo La Coruna.
The 27-year-old has taken a similar route to the top as Vardy, who turned down a move to the Emirates earlier this summer and signed a new contract with champions Leicester City.
Perez plied his trade with Atletico Madrid's junior team in his early 20s and spent time in Ukraine and Greece before moving back to Spain with Deportivo in 2014, first on loan and then permanently last summer.
He scored 17 La Liga goals in 2015-16 and Wenger likes what he has seen of the speedy winger, who can also play through the middle, a role the Frenchman seems set to utilise him in.
When comparisons to Vardy were mentioned, Wenger said: "Yes, I like that one. He is a late developer, he played in a different position.
"He moved centrally in a successful way. I think he has good link-up qualities, good finishing qualities. Let's see if we can finish the job."
