Manuel Pellegrini has made signing Ayoze Pérez ‘an absolute priority’ once his contract with Leicester City comes to an end in the summer.
That’s according to Estadio Deportivo, who say the forward’s performances since arriving from the Foxes have convinced the Chilean.
Pérez joined Betis on loan in the January transfer window, with the Foxes allowing him to depart on a temporary basis despite the fact his contract is expiring in the summer.
They were keen to get the Spaniard’s wages off of the books and grant his desire to return to his homeland and it seems Betis are delighted with the deal they’ve gotten.
Pérez has been a regular under Pellegrini since his arrival at the Spanish club, making 12 appearances in all competitions so far, scoring two goals and registering two assists.
Estadio report that talks are yet to begin on a potential extension to his contract, but the plan is to sign him permanently.
They know that they cannot afford the wages he currently earns at Leicester, while even the terms they agreed in January will be difficult given they were subsidised, and the forward sacrificed more than €1.4m to secure the transfer.
Despite that, talks with his agent have ‘multiplied’ in recent days in the hope of laying the groundwork for a deal.
Pérez has made it clear he wants the permanent switch but is also waiting to see what competitions Betis end up playing in next year. Qualification for Europe would make keeping him easier, particularly from a financial point of view.
The imminent arrival of a new sports director could speed negotiations up and begin talks, but the Leicester man is very much a player Pellegrini wants to continue working with next season.
