Newcastle have confirmed another key departure from Tyneside, as Ayoze Perez has completed his summer switch from St James’ Park to Leicester City.
The club have noted that the Foxes triggered a buy-out clause in the Spanish forward’s contract, believed to be £30million, as the King Power Stadium natives look to push on from their ninth-place finish in the recent Premier League campaign, as they missed out on European football by five points.
We, on the other hand, finished a further seven points back, with Perez as our leading goalscorer with twelve in 37 games – including every top-flight strike scored by a United player in April.
The Spaniard leaving Tyneside follows Rafa Benitez’s exit at the end of June, with his compatriot allowed to leave following the lapsing of his contract. Our second top-goalscorer from last season Salomon Rondon is also a doubt to be on Tyneside when the new term commences in August, with Benitez’s place at the helm previously thought to be imperative to the West Bromwich Albion striker sealing a permanent move to United.
Perez’s efforts in the recent campaign moved his career Newcastle total to 48 in 195 games, with Southampton his most favoured opposition with four successful efforts against the south coast side – the 25-year-old also hit two in six against Leicester during his five-year stay with the Magpies.
He regularly spoke about his desires to one day return to Spain, though, and was quoted earlier in the summer sharing his delight at the potential of joining Valencia. He has, however, stayed in England by securing a switch to the East Midlands.
Speaking to Leicester’s official website following confirmation of his move to the Foxes, Perez has now noted: “I’m very happy and very pleased. I’m very proud to be part of the Leicester family and I can’t wait to get started.”
His £30million move to the King Power does represent a great turn of profit on the £1.5million we spent to sign him from CD Tenerife in 2014, but the 5 ft 8 former U21 international’s departure will leave a huge void for United chiefs to fill this summer.
We must now be on the lookout for another leading striker, someone who can pose a threat on the right flank, and may have to cover the loss of Sean Longstaff if Manchester United follow through on their reported interest in the midfielder. The main priority, however, has to be finding someone who can replace Benitez at the helm before the season starts.
Here’s how these fans reacted when the club confirmed Perez’s exit…
Yeeee haaaa, fantastic news.. buzzing with this,
The club has made another healthy profit,
Balance sheet champions for another season ????????
Well done to Mike and all the staff at Newcastle United.
— LEDMAN (@ledmannufc) July 4, 2019
All the best to him. Fatty please sell the club immediately
— Simon (@LittleHenryD) July 4, 2019
Wot a club ????????
— Rich Miller ⚫️Nufc⚪️ (@Rich1982Miller) July 4, 2019
— DW (@dwright_98) July 4, 2019
Good luck @AyozePG . Can’t blame you going to a club with ambition and that is run correctly.
— Fake Bristol Geordie (@NUFCUNE14ST) July 4, 2019
Thats £30 Million we will never see again
— Carl Hetherington (@carl9058) July 4, 2019
Announce Megson
— Sean bin Can al Stella (@TheSeanIdentity) July 4, 2019
Announce relegation
— Andrew Youngman (@PtYoungers) July 4, 2019
Absolute shambles you would sell him, never mind to rival club. What a joke you’ve turned this club into
— sarah sams (@geordiesez09) July 4, 2019
Joselu ready for the season ahead?
— If Rafa Goes We Go (@IfRafaGoesWeGo) July 4, 2019
using the buy-out clause as an excuse are we..? pathetic…
— ed_bell (@edjbell) July 4, 2019