West Ham are close to an agreement to sign Arsenal striker Lucas Perez for £10million, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper report that the Spaniard is keen on remaining in the Premier League after a disappointing two seasons at the Emirates, with the 29-year-old eager to prove himself in England rather than make a return home.
The Evening Standard previously reported that West Ham were exploring a £5million deal for Perez, with the club also looking into five other potential signings.
According to Total Sportek, Perez is currently earning around £80,000-a-week at Arsenal.
OPINION
The jump from a reported price tag of £5million to one of £10million is pretty significant, and dampens enthusiasm over the deal somewhat. If the Hammers were able to sign the Spanish hitman for just £5million, then this could end up being one of the shrewdest signings of the window in the Premier League, with Perez eager to showcase his talent after two years in the dark at Arsenal. However, an agreement struck at £10million does not represent such good value for money. It is still a cheap deal in today’s market, with average strikers now going for close to £20million, but that £5million jump is an important one. Depending on Perez’s form that money may be totally worth it for the Hammers, who have been looking for a new striker for several weeks now, but it does introduce significantly more risk into the deal, especially when considering the club’s heavy spending elsewhere this window.
