Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 6y

West Ham sign Arsenal's Lucas Perez and Fiorentina's Carlos Sanchez

West Ham were busy on transfer deadline day, signing striker Lucas Perez from Arsenal and defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez from Fiorentina on Thursday.

Perez, 29, signed a three-year contract at the London Stadium, where he reunited with former Arsenal teammate Jack Wilshere.

"I'm very happy to be here at such an historic club," he told the club's official website. "I'm very excited, as West Ham are giving me the chance to stay in the Premier League and I'm very happy to be part of this new project. West Ham have great fans and play in an amazing stadium, so to sign here brings me great joy. I'm very motivated."

Perez was signed from Deportivo La Coruna for £17m in the summer of 2016 but failed to establish himself as a regular in the team. He went back to Deportivo on loan last season and was surplus to requirements at the Emirates after the arrivals of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Perez scored seven goals in 21 appearances for the Gunners, with agent Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle telling ESPN FC on Monday that he wanted to stay in London and prove himself in the Premier League.

Colombia international Sanchez, 32, signed a two-year contract just minutes before the deadline, marking a return to the Premier League after he spent two seasons with Aston Villa from 2014-16.

Sanchez initially joined Fiorentina on loan after Villa were relegated, then signed a permanent deal a year later. He spent the second half of last season on loan with Espanyol in La Liga.

"I'm very happy to be here. I'm very excited and looking forward to achieving lots," said Sanchez, who appeared at his second World Cup with Colombia this summer. "I decided to come here because, first, it is the Premier League, second, it's a beautiful club and the fans are always helping the club and, third, for me it's an amazing opportunity and an amazing project the club are leading, being ambitious and keen to achieve good things."

Perez and Sanchez join Ryan Fredericks, Lukasz Fabianski, Issa Diop, Jack Wilshere, Aindriy Yarmolenko, Fabian Balbuena and Felipe Anderson in moving to the Hammers this summer.

West Ham also sold one player on deadline day, shipping 18-year-old Portuguese midfielder Domingos Quina to Watford. The former Chelsea youth player signed a four-year contract with the Hornets.

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