Report details major development in Newcastle race for PL striker after huge demands made
By Danny Wright
Arsenal are demanding that Newcastle spend a huge £20million in order to sign wantaway striker Lucas Perez, according to a report.
The Sun claims on their website that this has caused the Magpies and their Premier League rivals Brighton to cool their interest in landing the 28-year-old on a permanent basis.
However in a major development it is now understood that Rafa Benitez is now looking to snap up the Spanish striker on loan.
Perez only signed for Arsenal last summer in a deal worth £17million from Deportivo, who are also said to have pulled out of the race to sign him after being told of his big price-tag.
He started just two Premier League fixtures last term, making 21 appearances across all competitions and scoring seven goals in the process.
The forward was left out of the Gunners squad that beat Leicester in the opening match of the Premier League season on Friday and has seemingly fell further down the pecking order now that Alexandre Lacazette has arrived at the Emirates.
Newcastle are yet to sign a new striker ahead of their league opener against Tottenham on Sunday.
Dwight Gayle is doubtful for the match, meaning that Aleksandar Mitrovic is the only other option to lead the line for the newly-promoted Tynesiders.
Football Insider Verdict
Benitez has made it clear that he has been left frustrated by the lack of signings he has been able to make this summer. Four players have joined the Magpies on a permanent basis but the Championship title holders are yet to spend anywhere near as much as their newly-promoted rivals Huddersfield as well as most other top-flight sides. Perez is simply not worth £20million and Arsenal cannot seriously expect to make a profit on player that they barely used last season. The Spaniard has said that he is looking to leave the Emirates as soon as possible, but if Arsene Wenger is demanding that much for him, there’s no way that any club within their right mind would want to spend that high a fee.
In other Newcastle news, the Magpies have made an enquiry for this Serie A striker.
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