Newcastle forward Ayoze Perez has confirmed that he will be staying with the Magpies for the new season in the Championship.
The 22 year old has been linked with a move to Premier League side Tottenham over the summer but the Spaniard told the Shields Gazette that he is keeping his promise to return to the top flight with the Toon Army:
“I already said when the team went down that I would try to come back to the Premier League (with Newcastle). That’s it. I’m focused. I’m here. Now we need to get fit for a tough season. We have had a rest, now it’s time to start again, work and focus on the season ahead. We try to get back as soon as possible.”
The former Espanyol forward signed a new contract back in February and his firm commitment to playing for the Magpes shows again the great belief the players have in Rafa Benitez. In the same interview, Perez said he was excited to be playing under the former Real Madrid manager and wants to learn as much as he can from the fellow Spaniard:
“We all know how important Rafa is for Newcastle. He always helps everyone at the club. It’s good to have him as our coach. He’s important for me. We are going to learn a lot from him.”
The signings of Matt Ritchie from Bournemouth and Dwight Gayle from Crystal Palace in the Premier League shows that players are prepared to move down a division to play for both the manager and the club, and Perez also stated that the “good signings” that have been made will benefit the team going into the new season.
