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 by saying, before adding that his future even involved advanced negotiations outside of Spain. «I negotiated with Borussia Monchengladbach and with FC Porto, which was almost finalized. I don't understand why it didn't happen,» he confessed.

The outcome was different and emerged at a later stage of the process. «In the end, Newcastle came along, they were the last to call. They told me I would go directly 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 established a consistent career in England, with significant stints at Newcastle and Leicester, with whom he won the FA Cup in 2021 and the English Super Cup. Later, he returned to Spain to play for Betis and is currently with Villarreal. As a Spanish international, he was part of the team that won Euro 2024.

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