Ayoze Perez has a message for Newcastle United ahead of takeover

The club is on the brink of being taken over by a group led by financier Amanda Staveley.

Staveley is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and billionaire property investors David and Simon Reuben.

Perez cited the “ambition” of Leicester City as a factor behind his move to the King Power Stadium last summer.

And the forward has spoken about his time at St James’s Park in an interview with Sky Sports.

"I just wish them the best – they’re a special team for myself,” said Perez. “It was a very important part of my career.

“They gave me the opportunity to become a professional footballer, and I grew up a lot in that city, in that club. I always look at their results, and I always hope for the best for them."

Tenerife-born Perez – who gave an emotional interview to the Gazette after playing his last game for Newcastle – had been tipped to move to Spain.

"To be honest, Leicester were one of the last teams that came to my agent to tell him they were interested,” said the 26-year-old.

"There were a couple of Spanish teams who we were talking to and trying to figure out if we could do a deal.

"I flew to London and had a long conversation with him (Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers), trying to get to know each other, to speak a little bit.

"After I walked out of that meeting, I had the feeling that it was going to be the right decision to join Leicester. Brendan is such a great manager. The way he treated me and the way he spoke to me was important in my decision.

"Obviously, Leicester is also building up a great project. It's a great team which is developing. So, in the end, it was an easy decision. If you ask me today if it was the right one, I would say so."

Listen to the latest Mouth of the Tyne podcast on the proposed Newcastle United takeover here