Lucas Pérez
|
Lucas with Karpaty Lviv in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lucas Pérez Martínez | ||
| Date of birth | 10 September 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | A Coruña, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Arsenal | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Alavés | |||
| Montañeros | |||
| Órdenes | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2009 | Atlético Madrid C | 55 | (18) |
| 2009–2011 | Rayo Vallecano B | 44 | (25) |
| 2010–2011 | Rayo Vallecano | 7 | (1) |
| 2011–2013 | Karpaty Lviv | 51 | (14) |
| 2013 | → Dynamo Kyiv (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | PAOK | 32 | (9) |
| 2014–2015 | → Deportivo La Coruña (loan) | 21 | (6) |
| 2015–2016 | Deportivo La Coruña | 37 | (18) |
| 2016– | Arsenal | 3 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 October 2016. | |||
Lucas Pérez Martínez (born 10 September 1988), known simply as Lucas, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for English club Arsenal as a forward.
Football career
Atlético / Rayo
Lucas was born in A Coruña, Galicia. After appearing for three different clubs as a youth he moved to Madrid and joined Atlético Madrid's C-team, playing two seasons in Tercera División. In the 2009 summer he signed with Rayo Vallecano, helping the reserves promote from the same level in his first year.
In the 2010–11 season, Lucas contributed with five games and one goal (in a 3–0 home win against Real Valladolid on 6 November 2010[1]) as Rayo returned to La Liga after eight years. He continued to be mainly registered with the B's, however.
Karpaty Lviv
On 17 January 2011, free agent Lucas signed a three-year contract with Ukrainian Premier League team FC Karpaty Lviv.[2] He scored his first goal for the club on 17 July, against FC Chornomorets Odesa in a 1–1 draw.
Lucas netted a hat-trick on 4 November 2012 in a 4–0 home win over FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, including a long-distance volley from a corner kick delivery.[3] In January 2013 he joined fellow league club FC Dynamo Kyiv on loan for the remainder of the season, and later labelled his experience as "a nightmare".[4]
PAOK / Deportivo
On 5 July 2013, Lucas signed on a fee of €700,000 a three-year contract with Superleague Greece team PAOK FC.[5] He scored his first competitive goal on 17 August, contributing to a 3–0 home success over Skoda Xanthi FC, and on 24 November he equalised in a 3–1 win over Aris Thessaloniki F.C. in the Derby of Northern Greece;[6] he also helped to a runner-up run in the national cup, losing the decisive match to Panathinaikos FC.
On 18 July 2014, Lucas returned to Spain and joined his newly promoted hometown side Deportivo de La Coruña in a one-year loan deal, with a buyout clause.[7] He scored in his first official appearance, having started in a 3–0 home win against Valencia CF on 19 October which also marked his La Liga debut;[8] the following matchday he was replaced in the 15th minute of a 0–0 away draw against RCD Espanyol, due to a knee injury.[9][10]
Lucas only returned to action in January of the following year,[11] appearing 12 minutes in a 0–4 home loss against FC Barcelona.[12] On 23 May, against the same opponent at the Camp Nou, he helped Dépor come from behind by scoring in the 67th minute of a 2–2 draw in the last round that prevented relegation.[13]
On 23 July 2015, in his first competitive match upon his return to PAOK, against NK Lokomotiva for the second preliminary round of the UEFA Europa League, Lucas scored the opener after Róbert Mak's shot was saved, in an eventual 6–0 home success.[14] One week later, against FC Spartak Trnava for the same competition, he netted the game's only goal in the first leg.[15]
On 12 August 2015, Lucas signed a permanent four-year deal with Deportivo.[16] On 12 December, he took his season tally to 11 goals in only 15 games, helping to a 2–2 draw at Barcelona.[17]
Lucas totalled a career-best 17 goals at the end of the campaign, eventually helping his team escape relegation again.[18]
Arsenal
On 27 August 2016, Arsène Wenger said that Lucas had completed a medical examination in order to join Arsenal after the paperwork was done.[19][20] Three days later the transfer was confirmed by the club, for a reported fee of £17.1 million.[21] He made his competitive debut in the 2–1 Premier League home win over Southampton on 10 September, which coincided with both his birthday and that of teammate Laurent Koscielny, whom he assisted for his team's equaliser.[22]
On 20 September 2016, during an EFL Cup away match against Nottingham Forest, Lucas scored his first goals for the Gunners, grabbing a brace in an eventual 4–0 triumph.[23]
Club statistics
- As of 25 October 2016[24]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rayo Vallecano | 2009–10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| Total | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| Rayo B | 2010–11 | 14 | 5 | — | 14 | 5 | |||
| Karpaty Lviv | 2010–11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 7 | |
| 2012–13 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 8 | ||
| Total | 51 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 60 | 15 | |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 2012–13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PAOK | 2013–14 | 32 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 50 | 10 |
| 2015–16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 32 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 52 | 12 | |
| Deportivo | 2014–15 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 21 | 6 | |
| 2015–16 | 36 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | 37 | 17 | ||
| 2016–17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 58 | 24 | 1 | 0 | — | 59 | 24 | ||
| Arsenal | 2016–17 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Career total | 165 | 53 | 14 | 2 | 19 | 4 | 198 | 59 | |
Honours
- PAOK
- Greek Football Cup: Runner-up 2013–14
References
- ↑ "Armenteros y Lucas tumban al Valladolid y lanzan al Rayo" [Armenteros and Lucas down Valladolid and propel Rayo]. Marca (in Spanish). 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ ОФІЦІЙНО. "Карпати" підписали іспанського нападника [Official. Karpaty signed Spanish striker] (in Ukrainian). FC Karpaty Lviv. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
- ↑ "'Mendietazo' del ex rayista Lucas en su 'hat-trick' con el Karpaty" ['Goal à la Mendieta' from former Rayo player Lucas in his hat-trick for Karpaty]. Marca (in Spanish). 5 November 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ↑ "Lucas Pérez: "En el Dinamo de Kiev pasé los peores cuatro meses de mi vida"" [Lucas Pérez: "I spent the worst four months of my life at Dinamo Kiev"]. Marca (in Spanish). 16 January 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ "Football: PAOK sign Spyropoulos and Lucas Perez – club". Global Post. 6 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ "PAOK beats Aris 3–1 in Greek league". Special Broadcasting Service. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ↑ "Lucas Pérez firma su contrato y se entrenará mañana sábado en Abegondo" [Lucas Pérez signs his contract and will train tomorrow Saturday in Abegondo] (in Spanish). Deportivo La Coruña. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ↑ "Cavaleiro y Lucas Pérez revolucionan al Dépor" [Cavaleiro and Lucas Pérez shake Dépor up]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 October 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ↑ "El Espanyol echa de menos a Sergio García" [Espanyol misses Sergio García]. Marca (in Spanish). 26 October 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ↑ "Las lesiones se ceban con Lucas Pérez" [Injuries all over Lucas Pérez]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 26 October 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ↑ "Lucas vuelve a convocatoria del Deportivo casi tres meses después" [Lucas returns to a Deportivo callup after nearly three months]. Sport (in Spanish). 17 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ "Vuelve el insaciable Messi" [The insatiable Messi returns]. Marca (in Spanish). 18 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ "El Barça indulta al Dépor" [Barça pardons Dépor]. Marca (in Spanish). 23 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
- ↑ "Like a revolver gun". PAOK FC. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- ↑ "Europa League: Ο ΠΑΟΚ νίκησε 1–0 την Σπάρτακ Τρνάβα και ελπίζει" [Europa League: PAOK defeats Spartak Trnava 1–0 and hopes] (in Greek). Naftemporiki. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ↑ "Lucas Pérez, nuevo jugador del Dépor para las cuatro próximas temporadas" [Lucas Pérez, new player of Dépor for the following four seasons] (in Spanish). Deportivo La Coruña. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ↑ "Barcelona held by Deportivo La Coruna as Lucas fires comeback". ESPN FC. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
- ↑ ""Es imposible pedirle a alguien los 17 goles y ocho asistencias de Lucas"" ["You cannot ask of anyone for Lucas' 17 goals and eight assists"]. La Opinión A Coruña (in Spanish). 7 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ "Arsenal boss confirms Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi have been signed (Video)". 101 Great Goals. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ↑ "Lucas Perez completes move to Arsenal". Arsenal F.C. 28 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ↑ "Arsenal sign Shkodran Mustafi for more than £35m and Lucas Perez for £17.1m". BBC Sport. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ↑ Ed Malyon (10 September 2016). "Arsenal hand full debuts to Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi for visit of Southampton". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ↑ "Nottingham Forest 0–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- ↑ "Lucas". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lucas Pérez Martínez. |
- Lucas Pérez profile at BDFutbol
- Lucas Pérez profile at Futbolme (Spanish)
- Stats at Resultados Fútbol (Spanish)