Former Premier League stars reveals he was close to joining Barcelona in 2014 – “Tempting”

At present plying his commerce for Villarreal, Ayoze Perez was once a distinguished title within the Premier League.

The Spaniard, in any case, had made as many as 223 Premier League appearances for his former golf equipment, Leicester Metropolis and Newcastle United, even scoring 45 objectives and mustering 17 assists within the course of.

Nevertheless, Ayoze’s profession trajectory might have turned out very in a different way, as he was near becoming a member of the Barcelona academy at a younger age.

Ayoze reveals he was near becoming a member of Barcelona

In a latest interview with La otra grada, Ayoze admitted he was approached by each Barcelona and Actual Madrid academies when he was nonetheless at Tenerife.

“I had presents from Actual Madrid Castilla and Barça B, however I additionally had different presents, regardless of being tempting,” he stated (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

Ayoze is speaking about 2014, when he was about to go away Tenerife CF after having made a stable impression on the Spanish membership.

However after being courted by a number of golf equipment throughout Europe, Ayoze revealed that it was Newcastle United’s promise of first-team motion that satisfied him to maneuver to Tyneside.

“I negotiated with Borussia Mönchengladbach, with Porto, which was nearly a carried out deal—I don’t perceive the way it fell by means of—and in the long run, Newcastle referred to as, who have been the final to name.

“They advised me I’d be within the first group, that I’d be essential, and I had a dream of enjoying within the Premier League, and in the long run, that’s the way it occurred,” he revealed.

Ayoze joined Newcastle United for simply €2 million in 2014, ending up making nearly 200 aggressive appearances for the membership earlier than leaving in 2019, in favour of a €30 million transfer to Leicester Metropolis.

Ayoze returned to Spain in 2023, as a part of a mortgage deal to Actual Betis, with the participant ultimately becoming a member of Los Beticos totally free in the summertime of 2023.

Ayoze’s transfer to Villarreal, his present membership, got here in 2024, with the Yellow Submarines paying simply €4 million for his providers.