After recovering from a muscle injury suffered during the FIFA international window in November, and after a brief appearance on the final matchday at San Mamés, Ayoze Pérez has been included in Marcelino’s squad for the crucial League match against a direct European rival this afternoon, Villarreal. For the first time, the Tenerife striker will face his former team, Betis, after separating last summer.
This meeting marks their first meeting since, in August, the Spanish international decided to surprisingly activate a clause in his contract, ending his illustrious period at Benito Villamarín, where he was an idol of the fans, and embarking on a new adventure in The Ceramics. A significant offer from the Castellón club altered the plans of both the player and the Betis board.
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Ayoze, whose only previous professional experience in Spain was with Tenerife in the Second Division, returned to Spain in January 2023 on loan from Leicester to Betis. Villarreal also showed interest in acquiring him at the time, but Manuel Pellegrini played a crucial role in the player’s decision. The Betis coach had been very interested in hiring Ayoze for some time, convinced that he could strengthen his team’s offensive options, and Pérez quickly validated that belief.
In his first six months as a green and white, Ayoze became the undisputed starter from day one, securing his position ahead of Juanmi, who had been vital for Betis previously. He played 21 official matches, scoring four goals, winning several penalties and playing a key role in helping the Andalusian team qualify for the Europa League again. So much so, that after finishing his loan period and with Ayoze free to negotiate, the club managed to convince him to stay with an offer that, although it did not meet the player’s financial aspirations, included exit clauses that allowed him to maintain control. about his future.
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Ayoze’s first full season at Betis was notable in terms of statistics, participating in 38 official matches and scoring 11 goals, although he suffered a serious ankle injury that kept him off the pitch for almost two months between January and March. . The striker returned strongly, scoring five goals in the last seven League games to help the Green and Whites secure a place in the Conference League.
The player and the club discussed a renewal that would reward his performances, which was expected to materialize after Euro 2024, where he became a full international as a Betic player. It seemed like a deal was only a matter of time until Villarreal made an offer that Betis ultimately decided not to match (if they had, Ayoze’s contract would have been modified, raising the clause to over €10 million). An abrupt end when the number 10 seemed destined to make history at the club, following in the footsteps of another Canarian, Rubén Castro.
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Betis understood that committing to such a high contract for a 31-year-old player contradicts its initiative to reduce the wage bill (as evidenced by the departures of Guido Rodríguez and Nabil Fekir). Ayoze, who hesitated until the last moment about heading to Villarreal, ended up paying his termination clause of 4 million euros to join the ‘submarine’ project.
In a recent interview with Sport, Ayoze confessed that he never thought he would leave Betis last summer: “Honestly, no. We won the Euro, I went on vacation and there were conversations about renewing my contract while I was reviewing my clause at Betis. I believed it was going to happen and that it would continue there.”
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However, everything changed in mid-August: “There are times in life when you have to make decisions, not only in football but in all areas. I had to think about what could be best for me. Villarreal arrived from unexpectedly and valued my presence a lot; it was a club that seriously committed to me. Honestly, it was not easy at all because I was very comfortable at Betis. life, you have to make decisions, and I chose to sign for Villarreal, and I am very happy about it.” Today will be a special day for Ayoze, although probably not as special as the day he returns to Benito Villamarín, where his departure was deeply felt.
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“Ayoze’s situation derived from various factors that we are not going to delve into now. Of course, I would have loved to have him here, an international player who did a great job for us and is also doing it at Villarreal. It is a matter that is resolved when it happened, there will always be different versions, and he is performing as we expected because he is a very high quality player,” said Pellegrini yesterday, probably the one who misses the Tenerife native the most in Heliópolis.
