On the face of it, West Ham landing Lucas Perez for a reported initial £4m just two seasons after he arrived at Arsenal for £17.1m is an outstanding coup.
Manuel Pellegrini needed a quality back-up striker to provide cover and competition for Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic without breaking the bank and Perez allows him to do exactly that.
However, not many of the club’s fans will have seen much of the former Deportivo man. Arsene Wenger did not give the Spaniard enough opportunities to show what he can do in English football.
So, while the feeling persists that he was hard done by, that doesn’t help Hammers fans know what to expect from their new hitman.
Jack Wilshere, was a team-mate of Perez at Arsenal and although he did not play in a game with Perez, he trained alongside him and has told the club’s website what Hammers fans can expect.
He said: “I trained with him because last season we were both in a similar situation as we’d both been told we could leave [Arsenal]. There was a period of three or four weeks when we were in a group who trained on our own and he has got real quality.
“He’s calm in front of goal, he can finish, he’s got a personality on the pitch, he’s got character and I’m looking forward to finally getting to play alongside him.
That is a glowing recommendation from a man who knows Perez probably better than anyone currently at West Ham and should get the fans excited about what they can expect from their new recruit.
It may take time for Perez to get an opportunity with Arnautovic and Hernandez ahead of him in the pecking order, but Wilshere clearly has no doubts he has the quality to make an impression when the chance does come.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
