Lucas Pérez set for Arsenal medical today

Spanish striker Lucas Perez is set to fly to London today to undergo a medical with Arsenal, ahead of a £17 million move to the Gunners.

Arsenal yesterday agreed to pay Perez’s contractual release clause of €20 million, however, they had to commit to paying it in one instalment after Deportivo la Coruña rejected their initial offer to split the fee into two payments.

Perez, 27, scored 17 goals for Deportivo last season, in what was the most productive season of his career.

Perez joined his home town club Deportivo on loan two seasons ago, and signed permanently with them last summer after spells in Russia and Greece.

Arsenal have been in the hunt for a striker for most of the summer, with Leicester City’s pacey forward Jamie Vardy their initial target.

The Gunners made a bid of £20 million for Vardy, which triggered the 29-year-old’s release clause, only for the England player to reject their offer in favour of staying with the Premier League champions.

Arsene Wenger then turned his attention to Argentinian striker Gonzalo Higuaín, but Napoli rejected Arsenal’s player plus cash offer which would have seen Olivier Giroud move in the opposite direction. The former Real Madrid poacher has since signed for Juventus after the Bianconeri paid his €90million buyout fee.

And, having baulked at Lyon’s asking price for Alexandre Lacazetter, Arsenal have now landed Perez.