Barcelona line up shock move for former Newcastle and Leicester City man with €4m release clause

The Catalan side are looking to invest in a new winger and sporting director Deco has identified the Real Betis star as an option ahead of the summer window, ASreports. The 30-year-old could be snapped up on the cheap as he has a €4 million release clause in his contract.

Barca have recently been linked with a host of attacking options, with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Xavi Simons, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo all said to be on their list. However, the club's terrible financial position likely puts those stars out of their reach due to budget constraints.

Perez spent five years playing for Newcastle after joining the Premier League team from Tenerife. He left the Magpies to join Leicester in 2019, and ended up joining Betis four years later. Overall, he made 223 Premier League appearances and scored 45 goals.

Perez is enjoying a good season with Betis, having scored 11 goals in all competitions to help them to a seventh-place finish in La Liga. He could be due for a step up this summer, though, if Barca act on their reported interest.