Top 7 most unexpected transfers of the 2016-17 summer window

4) Lucas Perez: Deportivo La Coruna → Arsenal FC

Lucas Perez was not the top striker that most Arsenal fans would have expected

It’s crystal clear to everyone that, prior to the 2016-2017 transfer window, there was a gaping hole in Arsenal’s frontline that needed to be filled if the North London club wanted to achieve Premier League glory.

After the signing of Granit Xhaka early in the window, Arsenal’s transfer committee seemingly became dormant. The next few weeks only saw the signings of Rob Holding and Takuma Asano- nothing really to write home about. Arsenal fans became increasingly frustrated, as they had to endure their rival clubs bolstering their lineups while their club seemed to lag behind.

In typical Arsene Wenger fashion, the French manager signed two players in quick succession in the dying days of the window. The first, Shkodran Mustafi, seemed a fantastic buy. A solid centre-back from Valencia, plus his positional diversity, definitely added a new dimension and new options to a relatively unstable Arsenal backline.

The second signing, however, was a little more controversial. Arsenal have been linked with big name strikers season after season, such as Gonzalo Higuain and Alexandre Lacazette. So being linked with, and eventually signing, Lucas Perez, was a surprise, to say the least.

Scoring 17 goals for a relatively weak Deportivo La Coruna side is quite the feat, which is something to be noted. Whether he can propagate this form into the Premier League is a different story. The playing style in La Liga is definitely more technical as opposed to the physicality and directness of English football. Added to the fact that he is 27 years old has led many to believe that this transfer was a gamble.

Many fans have been slating Wenger for such a signing, while many think he could be the next big thing. Given his previous circumstances, Perez’s success in London could go either way. Wenger has a knack for turning unknown players into reputable ones, such as Laurent Koscielny, but who really knows what will happen? Either way, it definitely wasn’t the marquee signing Gunners fans expected.