Dispirited Lucas Perez is set to rejoin his former club Deportivo La Coruna on loan after being bombed out by Arsene Wenger.

Perez cost Arsenal more than £17 million after they signed him from Deportivo last year when he became Arsenal’s fourth signing of the 2016 summer transfer window.

Yet Wenger only started the former PAOK and Dinamo Kiev loanee in four matches after Christmas and failed to pick him in the starting XI after the FA Cup fifth round victory at Sutton in February.

There is sympathy for Perez who is understood to be bitterly disappointed at the way he has been treated by the long-serving Frenchman.

Despite netting one goal in a total of 11 Premier League appearances, the 28-year-old Spainard had showed promise early on in his Arsenal career – leaving fans perplexed as to why Wenger seems set to move him on.

However, questions are once again being asked about the club’s bargaining skills as Arsenal began the summer insisting on £13m but have now backtracked and are set to push through a loan deal with a fee of £4m with a view to a permanent transfer with the Galician side.

French giants Marseille had been interested along with Valencia – however Perez is adamant that if he is to leave Arsenal it will be to return to his former club Deportivo.