Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez desperate to keep Ayoze Perez from clutches of Real Betis
Betis are ready to test Newcastle's resolve with a bid to take Perez back to Spain, with Prem clubs also monitoring situation
REAL BETIS have made Newcastle star Ayoze Perez their top summer target.
Toon boss Rafa Benitez wants to keep hold of the Spanish forward, who scored six goals in the last eight games of the season.
But Betis are ready to test Newcastle's resolve with a bid to take Perez back to Spain, with Premier League clubs also monitoring his situation.
Perez, 24, joined the Magpies from Tenerife for just £1.6million in 2014 and has three years left on his current contract.
He has already started 100 league games for the Toon and has 35 goals in all competition.
Perez told SunSport earlier this month that he would prefer to stay in England than return to Spain.
He said: “I feel like I want to keep playing in the Premier League.
“I am really enjoying it and I am really happy in Newcastle.
“They gave me the opportunity to play in the Premier League, to score a lot of goals, to be at the top level.
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“You never know what can happen in the future, we will see.
“But I can’t say anything bad about Newcastle. They gave me this life and I really appreciate it.”
Meanwhile, Belgian clubs Anderlecht and Standard Liege are both keen on Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba.
Boss Benitez is happy to sell the Congolese centre-half, 23, who has not played since January.
Mbemba moved to Newcastle from Anderlecht in 2015, and they are favourites to re-sign him, while they are also hoping to tie up a permanent deal for Toon keeper Matz Sels.