Leicester City forward Ayoze Pérez may need to seriously cut his wage packet if he wishes to join Real Betis on a permanent basis in the summer.
That’s according to Estadio Deportivo, who say the player’s continuation at the club is the ‘most complicated’ issue for new director Ramón Planes to deal with at the Spanish club.
Pérez joined Betis on loan from Leicester until the end of the season in the January transfer window, with the Foxes sanctioning the move despite his contract at the club expiring in the summer.
He’s been impressing under Manuel Pellegrini since and it’s been made clear that the manager has made signing him on a permanent basis an absolute priority for the summer.
That issue had been left pending by previous director of football Antonio Cordón and is considered the ‘most complex’ issue that his predecessor Ramón Planes will have to deal with.
Him signing from Leicester on a permanent basis will be heavily dependent on if they can qualify for European football next season. If they fail to do that it would be necessary to see what Betis can offer financially, particularly as Villarreal could come calling again.
The big issue is the forward’s wages, with him earning €6m a year at Leicester and already agreeing to reduce his salary considerably to join in January.
That would need to be reduced again if they miss out on Europe, which would also raise questions about what they can offer hm on a sporting level.
Pellegrini has made it clear that keeping the Leicester man is a priority and Pérez has told his agents to park any negotiations with Betis, or other clubs, until the summer. He will then decide his future when everything is on the table.
The Betis option will, though, likely require him to reduce his wages further, with that Leicester pay packet already needing to be cut in January.
