Newcastle Can’t Afford to Sell Ayoze Perez
In a season of darkness for Newcastle United, striker Ayoze Perez has been a beacon of light. His stellar play has been so attractive that rumors of a January transfer for the Spanish forward are nearing a fever pitch. It’s understandable why so many clubs would be hot on the youngster’s trail, but the simple truth is that Newcastle can’t afford to sell him.
Newcastle is in the midst of a laborious fight for its Premier League survival. Its most recent victory over Bournemouth only managed to lift them just out of the relegation zone to 17th place. It also should be noted that those three points came almost entirely against the run of play in that match. Newcastle was out shot 20-2 in the match and the deciding goal was scored by, you guessed it, Ayoze Perez. The point is they have very little room for error if they are going to avoid the drop.
That’s what makes the potential sale of Perez so difficult to swallow. Certainly he could be sold for a significant transfer fee which would be good financial business for the club, but it would be at a tremendous cost to the on-field product. Perez is not only one of the team’s brightest talents, but he also occupies a position where they have no cover.
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If Perez were to be sold, Newcastle would be forced to turn to Serbian Aleksander Mitrovic in his stead. He’s played eight matches up top for them on the year, but has only contributed two goals. At 21-years old he isn’t a bust because of his uneven start to the year, but he can’t be trusted to keep them in the Premier League.
The other alternative, of course, would be to purchase a replacement striker in the January window. To put it bluntly, Newcastle’s ownership cannot be trusted to do this. They’ve shown little ambition in the recent transfer windows and there’s no real reason to expect that to change in January.
Instead, Newcastle must be brave and hold on to Perez even in the face of interest from bigger Premier League clubs. They need a front-man like Perez who is willing to put in a challenge and has the skill to score a goal to keep their heads above water. The drop-off between he and the replacement would be too great a risk to their Premier League survival.
Even more than the talent lift he provides, Newcastle must keep Perez as a sign to their fans that they are serious about improving. Newcastle is a club with rich history that’s resources should have it aspiring for one than just Premier League survival. Their actions in recent years have shown everything but the type of ambition their fans deserve. If they continue this pattern and sell Perez, it will be a blatant slap in the face to their supporters.
Ayoze Perez will be a name bandied about in transfer stories for the foreseeable future. It might even be right for Newcastle to sell him to one of the world’s mega clubs some day. Today is not that day. Right now, Newcastle must hold on to Ayoze Perez at all costs. They can’t afford to let his talent leave the club.