Brendan Rodgers says Ayoze Perez may need “six months to a season” before he is used to Leicester City’s style of play. Leicester forked out £30million this summer to sign former Spain Under-21 international Perez from Newcastle United, bringing his five-year stay at St James’ Park to an end, having joined the Magpies in 2014 from Tenerife.
In total, the 2015/16 Premier League champions brought in five new players, having also acquired the services of Youri Tielemans, Dennis Praet, James Justin and Callum Hulme, who arrived on a free transfer.
The Foxes have made an unbeaten start to their campaign, having drawn against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea before recording back-to-back victories against Sheffield United and Bournemouth.
Rodgers’ men occupy third spot in the table, four points adrift of leaders Liverpool who are the only team left with a 100 percent record, and there is a real sense they could finish in the Champions League positions this term.
Perez started Leicester’s first three league games but failed to find the back of the net in any of those, which then resulted in the forward being dropped for the recent 3-1 win at home to the Cherries.
The Spaniard, who scored 33 goals from 143 PL appearances for Newcastle, has struggled to get to grips with the new system at King Power Stadium and Rodgers admits it may take the new arrival a while to get fully adjusted.
“With Ayo it is just going to be a period of adaption,” he said. “That might be six months to a season really. Over his time, he is going to be able to get the goals that he wants. But he is a bright player and really clever. He is also very modest and humble.”
Leicester have also made it through to the third round of the EFL Cup after beating Perez’s former employers Newcastle on penalties at St James’ Park after the game ended 1-1.
The Foxes will take on Championship outfit Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on September 24 for a place in round four as the visitors look to improve on their run to the quarter-finals over the past two seasons.
Rodgers’ side return to league action on Saturday week with a tricky trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United, who have made their worst beginning to a Premier League season since they only picked up four points under Sir Alex Ferguson in the inaugural 1992-93 fixtures.
Leicester are winless against the Red Devils in the past 10 meetings, the last victory coming in a 5-3 win at King Power in September 2014, while the Foxes haven’t triumph at the Theatre of Dreams since January 1998.
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