Ayoze Perez would be happy to stay at Newcastle United, provided the club improve their prospects, according to a report in the Chronicle.
The forward gave an interview to Spanish outlet El Chiringuito TV in which he seemed to suggest that he would be keen on a return back to his home country, but a source close to the player has claimed that that is not strictly the case.
The unnamed source said: “He is Spanish and he would like to go back to Spain if there were teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid or Valencia interested but he did not say he wants to leave – he just wants to improve. It does not mean Ayoze is not happy in Newcastle but nowadays it is a club whose only aspiration is to survive.
“Ayoze is very grateful to Newcastle but he needs to live other experiences, too. If Newcastle took the step to change and fight, fulfilling its potential, Ayoze would be happy to continue because it’s a fantastic place to play. Although he has a contract until 2021, it’s a matter of fighting for bigger things – not just staying in the Premier League.”
OPINION
Bit of a hard one to read, this. Perez’s comments certainly didn’t instil a great sense of hope for his long term future on Tyneside, and it’s not as if these latest insider comments have quashed that disquiet entirely. That being said, it would appear that the player is happy enough with his personal situation, and just believes that he may have to look to a higher standard of football for professional reasons. You can understand him wanting to play at highest level he can, but if we’re being honest, it sounds like he might be getting a bit too big for his boots. For one thing, he has hardly been standout for Newcastle this season. He has come good in recent weeks, granted, but that has been part of a significant upswing in form that has boosted the whole side. Even during the poorer parts of his season, Rafa Benitez has kept confidence in him, and you would have to say that coming out and suggesting that you might want to leave probably isn’t the best way to repay that faith.
