Ayoze Perez was signed from Newcastle United last summer for a reported fee of £30.6m (via Transfermarkt.co.uk) and since his arrival, he’s been a regular fixture in the side – starting 74% of their Premier League games so far.
In a recent article by the Athletic’s Rob Tanner, he claims opinion on the Spaniard’s impact at the King Power Stadium remains divided.
So what do the fans make of the 26-year-old’s displays for the Foxes so far?
Would you prefer to see Perez played centrally?
Yes
No
Positive but he’s not a winger…
— JCLCFC ??? (@JOHNKC1966) January 20, 2020
Not a terrible player but didn’t fix the problems we had in that position already.
— DT (@Dan_Turner_93) January 20, 2020
He’s a top quality player being played out of position.He’s not a left winger he’s a number 10 and he showed that at West Ham.He also scored a lot of key goals late in the game for Newcastle but he’s rarely on the pitch after 70 minutes .We need something absent in life,patience!
— Andrew Bolton (@AndrewB03365285) January 20, 2020
Very good on the ball. Frustrating at times but needs to be played in the ’10 role’ not on the wing.
— Justin Bird (Juggy) (@juggy1993) January 21, 2020
It’s simple, he isn’t a winger he’s a number 10 or striker alongside another, play him in his right position you’ll get the best out of him, but let’s remember Rodgers did this with Coutinho look how that worked out, so let’s trust the manager and get behind the players please
— Jon webster (@johnnywebster72) January 20, 2020
He’s not a winger. We still need to buy two world class wingers. #ReplaceMahrez
— Casual Fox (@OnTheWayLCFC) January 21, 2020
What do we think?
So the general consensus amongst the supporters appears to be that Perez is being played out-of-position. Despite it being clear he prefers to play centrally, he has still managed to contribute five goals and four assists in the Premier League in 20 appearances which is by no means a poor return.
The player’s average performance rating this season according to WhoScored.com is 6.8/10 but you suspect that if Brendan Rodgers can find a way of accommodating the former Newcastle United attacker in his favoured position, that will only increase.