West Ham Confirm Signing of Lucas Perez on 3-Year Contract from Arsenal

West Ham United have confirmed the signing of Lucas Perez from Arsenal on a three-year contract. 

The Hammers announced the new acquisition on social media:

"I'm very happy to be here at such an historic club," he said to the club's official website. "I'm very excited, as West Ham are giving me the chance to stay in the Premier League and I'm very happy to be part of this new project. West Ham have great fans and play in an amazing stadium, so to sign here brings me great joy. I'm very motivated."

Perez makes the switch to West Ham two years after signing for the Gunners. He spent last season on loan at Deportivo la Coruna. 

Perez arrived at Arsenal in 2016 with a fine reputation, having previously excelled in La Liga with Deportivo. In the season before his switch to England the striker netted 17 goals in 36 appearances in the Spanish top flight.

Yet at the Emirates Stadium opportunities were at a premium, as Perez only featured in the Premier League in 11 appearances, scoring just one goal. Last season he moved back to Spain, scoring six times in 32 games.

Perez's influence was not limited to goalscoring, though:

The forward will be desperate for some consistency in his career at this juncture and will hope to show he can make a big impression in England yet at the London Stadium. 

West Ham have had a busy summer already and are set to have a new-look team this term under manager Manuel Pellegrini. In addition to Perez, West Ham have signed Ryan Fredericks, Lukasz Fabianski, Issa Diop, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko, Fabian Balbuena and Felipe Anderson in this window.

It means expectations will be lifted for the capital club this season having flirted with relegation in the previous campaign.

Meanwhile, from an Arsenal perspective, football writer James McNicholas suggested Perez's sale may be good news for Danny Welbeck:

Perez should be a useful option for Pellegrini. While it's clear he's creative and has an excellent left foot, the forward also has the pace to stretch opposition defences; he's also versatile enough to play as a centre-forward, a split striker or in wider positions when needed.

Given the acquisitions West Ham have made, not to mention the transformation of Marko Arnautovic into a central striker late last season, Perez will face serious competition for his place in the XI. Still, he should get many more opportunities at the London Stadium