Leicester player reviews – Get Carter’s 20/21: Ayoze in or out?

When adopting the Second-striker or attacking-midfield role and playing in more central areas, Perez tends to have slightly more joy and is able to use his skill and creativity. Both of these areas heralded his only Premier League goals of the season bizarrely against Sheffield United each time.

Incidentally, The Blades are the only Premier League team he has scored against since late January 2020 with last season being his worst goalscoring return since 2013 when he was back in Spain. This is starting to be a major problem for a player who cost £30 million and was brought in to add creativity to the attack.

It’s hard to know whether Perez has been given enough patience with his chances on the pitch, on only six occasions was he afforded a full 90 minutes. He also seems to be the first one hooked whenever substitutes are being made with an over-reliance on the diminishing returns of Jamie Vardy. But after being one of the players that breached COVID protocols to have a house party he should thank his lucky stars that he somehow managed to work his way back into the favour of manager Brendan Rodgers.

This was what led to the former Newcastle United man playing a key part of Leicester City’s FA Cup triumph at the expense of James Maddison. Maddison is clearly the more skilful of the two players, but Rodgers has sagely recognised on occasions that the pressing and defensive work of Perez in the number 10 role to be far more beneficial in getting results over the line.