NEWCASTLE plan to make Arsenal striker Lucas Perez their main man up front – despite his dream to go back to Spain.
Perez wants a return to La Liga, where his former club Deportivo La Coruna are among a handful who would take the respected forward.
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But as Arsenal try to find a buyer for their forgotten hitman – rather than organise a loan move to Spain, Newcastle asked about Perez and would be prepared to make him their new No 9.
Perez, 28, has lost out on that number at the Emirates to new signing Alexandre Lacazette.
Now the Toon hope they can offer a bigger fee to the Gunners to swing the deal for the forward, who joined Arsenal only last year for £17million and who wants to try to make Spain’s World Cup squad next year.
Newcastle are growing desperate in their hunt for a new striker.
Cedric Bakambu at Villarreal has not encouraged them, while they lost out on Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham when he joined Swansea on loan.
Toon boss Rafa Benitez also likes Danny Ings at Liverpool but he has had a knee operation and relations are strained with the Kop over the attempt to take winger Sheyi Ojo.
Newcastle could yet rescue that deal, but bridges will have to be rebuilt.
The Magpies have already signed Christian Atsu, Javi Manquillo, Jacob Murphy and Florian Lejeune in on permanent deals.
While they have shipped off Yoan Gouffran and Daryl Murphy to Goztepe and Nottingham Forest respectively.
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