A case of two Lucas By SK
When Arsene Wenger announced the purchase of Lukas Poldoski in the summer of 2012, Arsenal fans were well convinced that Arsenal had finally got a striker who will take them to the Eldorado of football. Coming to Arsenal after a successful spell with FC Koln of Germany, they needed nobody to tell them how lucky they were to have purchased a world class striker.
Lukas Poldoski was born in Poland but choose to play for the German national team, for reasons best known to him. While at Arsenal, he made great impacts in the team; between 2012 to 2015, he appeared 60 times for Arsenal, scoring 19 goals in the process and mostly as a substitute. He was a very efficient goal poacher who always knew where the goal posts were! Man he had a powerful left foot, which he used to score breath taking goals.
Playing time was difficult to come by for Poldoski, Arsene Wenger probably was seeing what the fans didn’t see at that time but the fans were very much convinced that if he was given adequate playing time, he would have done greater things for the club. He left the club in 2015, first on loan to Inter Milan, then later on a permanent deal to Galatasaray.
Then just as if thunder was striking twice in the same place, the gods of football once again sent another Lucas to Arsenal, but this time around the Lucas is a Spanish international.
Lucas Perez, was born September 1988, in the city of A Coruna, he is a Spanish international who was bought during the last summer transfer window from Deportivo La Coruna, where he scored 17 goals in 36 appearances, for the sum of 17.1 million pounds. He made his premiership debut against Southampton on September 10, where he contributed with an assist. However, his first premiership goal was against Bournemouth in the 3-3 draw, last month.
He has delivered whenever called upon; he scored a hat-trick against FC Basel in the Champions League, scored a brace against Nottingham Forest in the EFL cup and several other goals. He has shown how deadly in front of the goal he can be. Just last night, he scored a goal against Sutton FC in the FA cup and his contribution in winning that game was spot on.
However, like Poldoski, Perez has found playing time hard to get! He has had to struggle for a first team shirt with Sanchez, Giroud, Walcott and Welbeck. Playing for a big club like Arsenal involves a lot of competition for playing spots but when a player shows how effective he can be when given an opportunity to play, it is only natural he is being allowed to play often. Already, his agent has come out to express his client’s displeasure over having difficulty in getting regular playing time and this could mean that Perez is seriously considering his options for next season – but whether he stays or leave Arsenal, depends on how much more playing time he can get. Mr Wenger, over to you!
Sylvester Kwentua