Former Leicester City Flop Thriving While Foxes Struggle
As Leicester City battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League, one of their past transfer disappointments is enjoying a standout season elsewhere.
The Foxes face a crucial midweek clash against West Ham United on Thursday evening, with three points desperately needed. Sitting five points adrift of safety, another defeat could deal a devastating blow to their survival hopes.
However, Opta’s supercomputer predicts a West Ham victory, which comes as little surprise given Leicester’s dreadful form—losing 10 of their last 11 Premier League matches.
Veteran striker Jamie Vardy continues to give his all in the fight against the drop, but his contributions have not been enough to lift the club out of the relegation zone. Meanwhile, had they been able to get more from one of their most expensive signings in recent years, things might have been different.
Ayoze Pérez Enjoying Record Season While Outscoring Vardy
Vardy has found the net seven times in 24 Premier League appearances this season, with eight goals across all competitions. While that is a respectable tally for a struggling side, a former Leicester misfit is currently outperforming him by a considerable margin.
Leicester signed Ayoze Pérez from Newcastle United for £30 million in July 2019, as reported by BBC Sport. However, he failed to live up to expectations, scoring just 15 goals in 114 appearances across all competitions for the Foxes.
Now at Villarreal, the Spanish forward is thriving and could be on course for the best season of his career. As of March, the 31-year-old has already notched 14 goals and two assists in just 20 appearances during the 2024/25 campaign.
That tally is nearly double Vardy’s total and just three shy of Pérez’s best-ever goal-scoring season—when he netted 16 in 35 games for CD Tenerife in Spain’s second division back in 2013/14.
Why Ayoze Pérez Left Leicester City
With a significant price tag attached to his move, expectations were high for Pérez at Leicester, but he never managed to find consistent form.
Reflecting on his departure last year, he opened up about his decision to leave, as reported by Al Final De La Palmera.
“It was a crucial moment in my career. I wasn’t getting many minutes at Leicester, and I needed a fresh start,” Pérez explained.
“We all know what a great coach Manuel [Pellegrini] is, and that made it easier for me to choose Betis. Psychologically, I knew it was the right time to return to Spain.”
While Leicester struggle at the wrong end of the table, Pérez’s resurgence in Spain serves as a reminder of the potential they failed to unlock during his time at the King Power Stadium.
