Arsenal Transfer News: Fresh Lucas Perez and Marcelo Brozovic Rumours

Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez is on the brink of officially becoming an Arsenal player, with a report from John Cross and Ed Maylon of the Daily Mirror saying that he’s completed a medical at the Emirates Stadium.

The 27-year-old touched down in London on Thursday to finalise terms of his transfer; and now he’s completed his fitness assessments, he’s all set to be announced by the club over the weekend.

Links to Perez were initially a big surprise to the Arsenal faithful. They’ve been crying out for a world-class frontman for many a season, and the Deportivo man isn’t exactly who they had in mind.

Journalist and Arsenal fan Piers Morgan, for example, wasn’t too sure who he even was:

In fact, Cross and Maylon wrote that the Gunners were offered the chance to buy Perez back in July, but they decided against it despite having watched the forward in action many times.

Now, however, Arsenal have met the star’s €20 million release clause, according to David Ornstein of BBC Sport:

Everything seems to be pointing at Perez being a panic buy, yet manager Arsene Wenger insists he’s still got his logical hat on, via Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Independent:

"

Look at my face, is it the face of somebody who does a panic buy? No. I try to make the decision.

[...]

People have been addicted to news. We live in a society where we need always new faces, hope for the future. You want to dream. There is fear of being behind the others. If you look at the last season for example, it is not necessarily the club who bought the most that is in front.

"

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague also believes Wenger is signing a very talented striker in Perez, as he told Sky Sports that he’s an experienced and versatile player:

"

Someone who scores 17 goals in La Liga should be considered a top signing, especially when you consider Perez did that at Deportivo.

He's fast, has a powerful left-footed shot, he's clever and has been abroad already in Ukraine and Greece.

That experience makes him different to other Spanish strikers that struggled in the Premier League in the past.

He can play as a number nine or, more likely, on the right-hand side of attack.

"

Should Perez sign on the dotted line at the Emirates over the weekend, he’ll be in line to make his Arsenal debut on September 10 against Southampton.

Wenger’s problems lie a lot deeper than just up front, though, and he’s expected to be a very busy man over the coming days. One man seemingly on his radar is Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic.

The midfielder only made a permanent switch to the San Siro earlier this year, but his agent, Miroslav Bicanic, told Croatian outlet Index (h/t Football Italia, via Charlie Phillippe of the Daily Express) that Arsenal and Premier League rivals Chelsea are in the hunt to sign him.

Brozovic's agent said: "It’s true, there are many options and we are talking about some big European clubs. I heard that Chelsea representatives are in Milan and that Arsenal are also prepared to sign him. Inter are pushing to sell to one of these two clubs who are prepared to pay a sum that satisfies all concerned."

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

However, Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Inter will demand £25 million for the Croatian (h/t Liam Spence of the Daily Express), which suggests the Gunners may well be priced out of the transfer.

Arsenal blew a massive opportunity to win the Premier League last season, and fans were quick to take their anger out on Wenger, whose reluctance to spend has cost them big over the years.

The Gunners face a tricky-looking trip to Watford on Saturday when nothing but three points will give the "Wenger out" brigade plenty to shout about.