According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, West Ham are on the verge of sealing a deal for forward Lucas Perez. The 29-year-old currently plays his football at fellow Premier League side Arsenal and has done so since the summer of 2016, although his lowly position in the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium saw him shipped out on loan to Deportivo La Coruna for the entirety of last season.

Yet it appears that Manuel Pellegrini is on the verge of completing a £4 million deal for the forward, a deal which could well prove to be the shrewdest of an already excellent summer transfer window at the London Stadium.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, things haven’t gone at all well for Perez since his move to Arsenal back in 2016, what with the Spaniard managing just 21 appearances for the Gunners in the 2016/17 season, of which only 11 came in the Premier League.

And with just one goal to show for his efforts in English football’s top-flight, many could be forgiven for thinking that West Ham are wasting £4 million on the 29-year-old, yet his efforts in other competitions for the Gunners, alongside a fine season last term in Spain, suggests that it could prove to be money very well spent indeed.

Perez actually netted a hat-trick for Arsenal in their Champions League victory over Basel to complete an excellent group stage campaign for Arsene Wenger’s side back in 2015, while he netted once and laid on two assists to help the North London giants win the FA Cup later that season.

Add in that the one Premier League goal he scored was an absolute beauty against Bournemouth, and one wonders whether regular football in the top-flight could well get the very best out of Perez, as was seen at Deportivo last time round.

The Spaniard, who left the La Liga outfit to join Arsenal two years ago, scored nine times and laid on eight assists in 37 appearances for the club but ultimately wasn’t able to keep them in the top-flight, comfortably finishing the season as the club’s top-scorer in a side that struggled for goals, which itself is surely a good sign.

Thus, in a team with the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini, and indeed new signings Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko, the 29-year-old could be a huge asset to Pellegrini as he seeks to take West Ham forward this summer - and for £4 million, it could be prove to be a masterstroke.

As such, while some may be unsure about Perez given his previous Premier League exploits, a £4 million deal for the forward could well prove to be Pellegrini’s shrewdest of the window so far if Perez re-discovers his Deportivo form at the London Stadium.

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!