Madrid, June 4 (IANS): Deportivo Alaves have begun their recruitment for next season with the signing of forward Lucas Perez from West Ham United for a fee of 2.5 million euros (2.81 million US dollars).

The move sees Perez return to the club where he began his career as a youth team player after a relatively unsuccessful spell in the Premier League, reports Xinhua news agency.

The 30-year-old joined Arsenal after a season which saw him net 18 goals for Deportivo la Coruna, but he only scored one league goal for the Guns before returning to his former club on loan.

Last season he scored six goals in 19 appearances in all competitions for West Ham, but was never first choice in the side with Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez preferred in attack.

His arrival at Alaves will give more firepower to the club which finished 11th in Spain's Liga Santander last season, slipping away badly in the second half of the campaign after selling forwards Ibai Gomez and Ruben Sobrino in January.

Meanwhile West Ham are thought to be prepared to pay around 20 million pounds (around 22.5 million US dollars) to sign Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes from FC Barcelona and have announced a pre-season friendly with Athletic Club Bilbao for August 3rd.