Home Is Where the Heart Is

Half way through another transfer window, where days are filled with endless rumors, quoted prices and actual deals, every so often, we come across a story that warms the heart. A story that lets everyone know that the soul in football is still alive and thriving. This is the case with Lucas Perez and his recent move back to his hometown club Deportivo La Coruna. Players leaving and returning to their hometown club is perhaps more common than we think. Big money transfers, exciting as they are, often come with a large amount of pressure placed on the player. As fans we tend to forget that these players are human and go through daily struggles just like all of us. The demand of adapting to a new city, a new manager, a new team and sometimes a new country, can be daunting. Players struggle with the language, fitting in with their new team and feeling homesick. Despite their best efforts, many times these moves do not pan out. Players never adjust and in some instances come to realize the grass isn’t always greener.

A well known example is when Manchester United bought Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace in January 2013. Loaned back for the remainder of the season, Zaha joined Manchester United full time in the summer. He would go on to make only two official league appearances for the club before being loaned out to both Cardiff City and back to Palace again. Zaha made the permanent switch back to Selhurst Park in the summer of 2014 and continues to play there today. Another example of a big money moved never taking off, seeing a player returning home. However, what makes Lucas Perez’s move so different is the details which surround it.

Having made a big money move to Arsenal for just over £17 million in August 2016, there was genuine excitement for the club and player taking his game to the next level. The previous season Perez had netted 17 goals in 37 appearances for Deportivo La Coruna as they finished 15th in La Liga. Despite this, his time at Arsenal would be limited to 11 Premier League appearances, registering only one goal. He did however, score multiple times in both the FA Cup and the Champions League while scoring once in the League cup though this was not enough for him to earn a regular spot amongst the squad. Perez spoke about broken promises made by then Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, expressing a desire to leave the club and return to Deportivo in order to compete for a spot in the Spain squad for the upcoming World Cup. The following year he got his wish and re-joined Deportivo on a season long loan where he would make 35 appearances in La Liga scoring 8 times. Returning from loan, neither Arsenal nor Perez saw a future at the club which saw him leave to West Ham for the 2018-2019 season. His fortunes did not prove to be much better in East London as he went on to score a single goal in 15 league appearances, most of which were off the bench. England had been a challenging time for Perez. He became yet another player whose career suffered due to the high demands of playing at a big club. He had come to the Premier League in his prime, wanting to take his game to the next level but results are paramount at bigger clubs. So often managers are not willing to give too many chances as they worry about achieving their targets and in many cases maintaining employment. A return to Spain was next where the next few seasons Perez would bounce around different mid to lower table Spanish clubs in search of regular football.

He rejoined Alaves in May 2019, the club where he started his career, and for a time it seemed Lucas Perez had regained some stability and consistency. He would play two seasons for the Basque club making 62 appearances in La Liga and registering 15 goals. Despite being a regular, his contract was terminated, leaving Perez once again wondering what and where was next in his career. He joined Elche as a free agent where he made 19 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals. Then a little over a year later, Perez signed for Cadiz in January 2022. The Andalusian club signed Perez hoping any goals he could provide would aid them in their quest to survive relegation. Perez obliged. On April 18th, Cadiz traveled to Camp Nou to face Barcelona. Languishing in the relegation zone, the match was all but a foregone conclusion but on this day, Perez and Cadiz decided to rewrite the script. Scoring the only goal of the match in the 48th minute, Perez and Cadiz ran out 1-0 winners despite only having 25% of possession. Cadiz would use this victory to galvanize their cause and would go on to escape relegation and maintain their status in La Liga, while Perez ended the season as the club’s top scorer. What more could a player want after such a tumultuous career? He had regained the consistency in his performances and found a club that appreciated him, offering him regular football. But for Perez, this was not what he wanted in his heart. Only a return to his beloved Deportivo La Coruna would fill the void he felt inside. He had played with the idea the previous season, hoping that Deportivo would make the playoffs and win promotion to the second division only to be present in the crowd as they crashed out of the play-offs, losing in extra-time. This would condemn Deportivo La Coruna to another season in the third division. The dream seemed to be dead.

But this is a story of romance, passion and a person who would not be denied their fairytale ending. Perez was determined to return home. Cadiz for their part attempted to convince him to stay, but whether it was contract extensions, bonuses or anything else, Lucas Perez had made up his mind. On December 31st, 2022, the same day that Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr in a deal worth reportedly £350 million Lucas Perez paid nearly £500,000 pounds out of pocket in order to see his dream move become a reality. Signing for a salary one-sixth of what he was making at Cadiz it was a signal across the football world that money, despite it's hold on the game, isn't everything. You can't put a price on passion and for Lucas Perez passion is at the heart of this mission. The goal is to get Deportivo promoted to the second division and perhaps one day regain a spot in La Liga. Perez made his debut on January 8th against Unionistas. Swarmed by fans before the match, he was nearly late to the game because just as it does for Perez, this move means so much to the fanbase, to have one of their own back in the side and breathing every moment for the club. Deportivo La Coruna would go on to win the game 3-0 with Perez scoring two goals marking a dream return to his hometown club. It seems written in the stars the Lucas Perez was meant to return home, as if every moment of turmoil he's faced has lead to this. It remains to be seen how the rest of the season will play out up in Galacia, but for now Perez can enjoy football again. His decision is a great reminder to players and fans alike that "home is where the heart is."