Lucas Perez says he knows all about Arsenal’s legion of legendary former players having watched the club when he was growing up.
The Spaniard completed his €20 million move from Deportivo La Coruna earlier this week and was promptly handed the number 9 shirt; worn previously by a compatriot who went on to become an ‘Invincible’.
“Well, obviously everyone knows about Arsenal’s legendary players, such as Henry and Bergkamp,” he told Arsenal Player. “I really admired Reyes, who’s a fellow Spaniard.
“[There’s] Pires, Vieira too… that was a wonderful time for Arsenal and everyone knows all those players. People know all about them in Spain and that history of having legends at the club is part of the reason Arsenal are so popular.”
Perez joins a legion of Spanish speakers at London Colney – around nine first team members by our count – and says he’s looking forward to making their acquaintance after brief encounters last week.
“Bellerin said hello and so did Cazorla [when I arrived at the club] – they were both here at the training ground,” he added.
“I’ve seen them play and things but I don’t know them personally because I only started playing in La Liga two years ago, by which time they’d certainly come here, so I never got the chance to meet them in person.”
Perez today held an emotional press conference back in Galicia where he said his final farewell to Deportivo, the club he joined two years ago and has supported all his life.
“I’ve been in Coruna these last few weeks and people on the street have said only words of thanks,” he told assembled media*.
“I leave giving hugs to everyone, it’s a good farewell and the door remains open.
“I’ll be more, not less of a Deportivo fan on my departure. Everyone in our line of work, when there’s an opportunity to progress and where you can grow, will take it. You’d be cynical not to.
He added: “I’m looking forward to playing in European competitions, fighting for the title, earning an international call-up, growing as a player and sharing a dressing room with great players. I’m proud to be doing that having been at Deportivo.
“I’ll be an example for many kids here by going to a big team like Arsenal, hopefully, I’ll serve as an example for kids to do even better than me.”
__
* we’ve done our best with the translation.
I fucking love this guy already.
He will throw you off a bridge, but not before shaking your hand and wishing you the best.
wow, he sounds like a character guy. I’m sure he’ll return to his hometown club someday, but not after a bunch of successful seasons for the Arsenal!
I hope u mean not before!
haha, thanks for that. We all know what I mean 🙂
Exactly the right type of mentality I want at Arsenal. I’m so glad Vardy snubbed us cuz I can’t bear his crazy eyes peering out of our shirt
Dodged a bullet. And got a Spanish version without the weasel DNA Vardy has
Exactly. Vardy is not the type of guy I can fall in love with.
Possibly a huge part of the problem in the Arsenal team over the past decade is that all our players are too nice? Would snap your hand off for some Suarez skullduggery in the team.
Perhaps we should sign Diego Costa …
Woah!
Let’s not go all batshit crazy on us now.
You can be a menace and not a cunt. Plenty of sportsmen have these attributes. Look at rugby for instance. Unfortunately football is becoming less of a sport and more of a stage (wrestling) sport. Even with leicester winning the title, the emergence of athletico and etc, people still only care about big money moves and drama. Were subjected to watching at least quarter of each match wasted (some people call this gamesmanship, some call it cheating), people feigning injury, diving, racism and everything else. Its why i support arsenal and wenger. Even if he also infuriates me at times.… Read more »
When we were winning stuff with Wenger and United were our biggest rival everybody mocked our values. You can never silence fans of other clubs. They have to insult us to make themselves feel that they haven’t wasted their lives supporting the wrong club.
For the talent Suarez has? Barely a question. Vardy after a year at the top? Not quite the same. As a fan I’d welcome and all world class players, that the 4 we have already are so loveable it’s just a blessing as is. Get a guy who’s average and a bit of a dick… we can do better.
^ @ Big L Hop
Who is the fourth world class player? .I can think of the three most obvious ones, unless you mean Xhaka, in which case it might be a bit early to make that call.
I’m guessing ozil, alexis, cech and kos? Maybe cazorla can be thrown into that class too because he is just so damn MAGICAL xD
I wouldn’t welcome Suarez if we were in League 2 and facing relegation. There are limits beyond which players shouldn’t go, and he regularly goes beyond them. His talent is luck. His behaviour is choice. Only one will fade with age.
Some more of the following:
Keane: Vieira picked on Gary Neville in tunnel row because he saw him as United’s ‘weak link’.
I think this is something Wenger has been after for a while now.
We tried to sign Suarez
We watched and Wenger was a huge fan of Costa
We tried to sign Vardy
And Perez by all accounts, is of that same ilk. Would be good to see some crazy coontery in our squad again. Along with Xhaka, who doesn’t seem to take any shit from anyone.
What accounts tell us that Perez is a cunt? You’re making it up. He used a phrase to say he never expected to join a team as big as Arsenal. If you think saying “I’d have thrown you off a bridge” makes him the crazy sort of person that would actually do that then you’re wrong. Being a character is not the same as being a cunt.
Now in the same situation Suarez would have said “I’d have bitten your hand off for a chance like that”, and he would have meant it. That’s cunt, not character.
Seems a humble, genuine guy. Really excited to see him pull on the famous red and white shirt.
So much more solidarity and fight in our squad now with leaders being added down the spine of the team.
Starter pistol has sounded but we didn’t go on the B of the bang, we look ready to go now though.
Let’s get behind our team…
COYG!
Actually happy we did not sign Vardy.
This bloke looks more technical which could be developed into a fox in the box. Plus he has the burst of pace and trickery of a winger.
Considering Chadlu, Ndong cost 13m, Marcos Alonson cost 23m, we did a good deal.
17 goals in La Liga
If I’m not wrong Slimani scored 29 goals in the Portugese league and cost 29m
Does each goal cost 1m quid? Is that how they are valued? I don’t remember Higuain scoring 75 goals.
😀
Flippin’ heck I can’t believe the term ‘fox in the box’ is still being used. I expect Francis Jeffers to pop up at any moment!
So which invincible is it that actually loves Perez? I’m gonna say Pascal Cygan
Can’t wait for this awful intl. break to be over. Actually refused to watch any game until the PL returns. Come on Lucas!
I watched the Legends game. Very entertaining.
Please wipe away our tears by scoring regularly gunners till I die.
Sounds like a top guy, our Lucas new boy.
Felt scripted to me, probably because in today’s football everything players say was handed to them by a pr team and advisors to make sure they deliver the message the club wants them to deliver. I’m sure he’s a great guy though, he is just the club’s messenger and they did a good job building emotional relations to the fans and selling Perez as this loveable guy who loves everything we love. but it’s hard really getting to know any of our players with the club constantly peering over their shoulder. I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure not… Read more »
Geez fella
No. If it was scripted then it would have been scripted/vetted by Deportivo. They wouldn’t have let him put the emphasis on moving to a “big club”. Plain commonsense gets me a lot further in life than signing up for every little conspiracy theory that comes along. I think your main problem is that you subconsciously assume all European players are as thick as most British players. Only in the UK does being good at football replace an education.
He has the skill set to become a legend. Good pace, good finishing and gets into good positions.
I’m not sure he has the time to become a legend. He’s 28 already. We may have to make do with “excellent”.
Best player ever woohoo
“Everyone in our line of work, when there’s an opportunity to progress and where you can grow, will take it. You’d be cynical not to.”
And here is where the comparisons to Vardy end.
Still very early but I like this guy a lot so far. Hopefully will make us a lot stronger.
Vardy may simply have decided that he’d like to play out his days as a Leicester legend and end his career feeling good about himself. Gooners are quite capable of turning on their own legendary players if said players say anything that they don’t like. That’s never going to happen at Leicester. He won them something that is unique in their history. THE top prize. A PL and a season in the Champions League. That’s true Glory if the best thing your club had ever won was a League Cup. They can now boast a League title. The player who… Read more »
Im feel sick and my head falled off
I am saddened and terrified that the arseblog gent seems to have suffered an overdue yet premature demise, probably due to his serious alcohol and drug addictions. Please could someone let me know if he is ok and able to continue reporting on the goings on at the Arsenal. His is the only word I hear from the great club nowadays and I have come to rely on his narrative.
Please Gent, if youre out there- send word.
He returns today on arseblog.com
He reminded me a bit of Ruben Sosa. .the way he plays
Perez, welcome to red and white club, paint the town red with a lot of goals. Welcome boy……
Btw. Lucas also said during that press conference that Arsenal had shown interest in him in the January transfer window last season but he couldn’t have left at that time (8:50).
Liking his attitude. Honoured to be here and expects to have to prove his worth every time he plays.
Unlike some.
always a good sign when a player gets a warm send off from their old team. means they’re not an arsehole (the party ajax held without him when zlatan left comes to mind)
Nice guy. New kind of problem for EPL defenders.