EX-ARSENAL ace Lucas Perez has made the 14th transfer of his career to the 12th different club after signing for PSV Eindhoven.
The 36-year-old sealed a free transfer to the Eredivisie giants just weeks before the two sides face off in the last-16 of the Champions League.
Lucas Perez has sealed the 14th transfer of his career by signing for PSV
PA:Empics SportIt comes weeks before Arsenal are due to play the Dutch club, though he cannot be registered to face his old club[/caption]
GettyHe has signed for PSV after unexpectedly terminating his contract at Deportivo La Coruna in January[/caption]
Arsenal secured their passage after finishing in the top eight of the new league phase of the competition, while PSV stunned Juventus with a 4-3 aggregate victory in the knockout play-offs.
The first leg of the clash will be played in the Netherlands on March 4, with the Emirates playing host to the second leg on March 12.
And just weeks before the tie the Dutch club have brought in a familiar face for Arsenal fans.
However, Perez will not be eligible to play against the Gunners due to the registration date for the competition passing on February 6.
Perez had been a free agent after unexpectedly ripping up his Deportivo La Coruna contract in January for personal reasons.
The Spanish striker has now signed a short-term contract to the end of the season to sign with PSV, where he will wear the No.27 shirt.
In a statement, he said: “I can’t wait to show myself to the fans and my new team-mates.
“I am very ambitious and am looking forward to delivering many goals and assists.
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“My first impression of the club is very good, I get energy from the people I have already met.
“PSV were on top of it right away and did everything they could to bring me to Eindhoven.
“That did me a lot of good. Unfortunately, it took a bit longer than planned before a final agreement was reached, due to personal reasons on my part.
“I found a solution for that and I am very grateful for the fact that the PSV management remained so patient.”
He will join the team’s training group on Monday to work under Peter Bosz.
The veteran added: “I am extremely driven to help this club achieve its other objectives, including winning the national title and national cup.”
“I have worked very hard in recent weeks, both on and off the field. I am more than ready to prove myself here.”
Perez originally joined Arsenal in 2016 in a £17million transfer from Deportivo.
But he never managed to truly settle in North London despite having a solid record when playing, with seven goals and five assists in 21 games in all competitions.
Arsenal loaned Perez back to his hometown club, Deportivo in August 2017 before they sold him to West Ham the following summer.
He scored six goals in 19 appearances for the Hammers before they sold him a summer later to Spanish side Alaves.
Perez then bounced around from Elche to Cadiz and back to Deportivo for the fourth time in his career.
Overall he has scored 62 goals and added 53 assists in 172 games for the Spanish side.
His other clubs include Atletico Madrid C, Rayo Vallecano B, Rayo Vallecano, Karpaty Lviv, Dynamo Kyiv (where he never made an appearance), and PAOK Saloniki before signing for Deportivo.
PA:Empics SportPerez also played for West Ham during his time in England[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
