Europa League winner Ayoze Pérez recalls near move to FC Porto | OneFootball

Ayoze Pérez revealed that he was very close to signing with FC Porto before heading to England, when he was making a name for himself at Tenerife. In statements to the program La otra grada, the Spanish forward recalled the alternatives he had and explained why he chose the Premier League.

“I received offers from Real Madrid Castilla and Barça B, which were very tempting,” he began, before adding that his future even involved advanced negotiations outside Spain. “I negotiated with Borussia Monchengladbach and with FC Porto, which was almost a done deal. I don’t understand how it didn’t happen,” he confessed.

The outcome was different and came about at a later stage in the process. “In the end, Newcastle appeared, they were the last to call. They told me I would go straight to the first team, that I would be important, and I had the dream of playing in the Premier League. That’s what happened,” Ayoze explained, highlighting the influence of the English league on his decision.

The choice proved to be the right one. Ayoze Pérez built a solid career in England, with notable spells at Newcastle and Leicester, the club with which he won the FA Cup in 2021 and the English Super Cup. He later returned to Spain to play for Betis and is currently with Villarreal. A Spanish international, he was part of the squad that won Euro 2024.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.