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Souness: Newcastle miss Perez

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Graeme Souness has claimed that Newcastle United are “desperately” missing Ayoze Perez this season.

The Spaniard left the Toon Army to join Sunday afternoon’s opponents Leicester City over the summer, and Souness is under no illusions as to how significant his absence could prove to be for Steve Bruce’s men.

When asked if United missed the 26-year-old on Sky Sports, as quoted by the Chronicle (16.19), he said: “Desperately so – you look at Newcastle, where are the goals coming from?”

Are Newcastle really missing Perez?

Without a shadow of a doubt, yes.

The Spaniard scored 12 goals in the Premier League last season, as well as assisting two others.

That means that of 42 goals Newcastle scored in the league last term, Perez was involved directly in one third of them.

Taking that kind of talent out of a team is always going to be a blow, and the Magpies have struggled to find anybody capable of filling his boots.

The 26-year-old averaged a shot accuracy rate of 50.9% last season, as per Wyscout, whereas club record signing Joelinton has only managed 25% [Wyscout].

Similarly, the Brazilian has averaged just 0.5 progressive runs so far this term, compared to Perez’s 1.15.

In short, Perez’s replacement is less direct and less effective than the Spaniard, and it is clearly having an adverse effect on his side’s attacking productivity.

The Toon Army have had the least shots of any side in the Premier League this term, as per the league themselves, when last year they were able to finish 14th in those rankings.

Of course, Joelinton could still come good, but at the moment, with Steve Bruce’s men in the bottom three, having scored the joint lowest amount of goals in the division, the Magpies need to find the back of the net far more regularly.

Souness is right, Perez is missed.

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