Ayoze Pérez Gutiérrez (born 29 July 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for La Liga club Villarreal and the Spain national team.

[4][5] He appeared with the main squad in the third level in the following campaign,[6] featuring in 16 matches and scoring once as the Blanquiazules returned to division two after a two-year absence.

[12] This was one of the performances which earned him the league's Player of the Month award,[13] which he retained for a second consecutive time while his manager Álvaro Cervera won the equivalent.

[15][16] On 5 June 2014, Pérez rejected interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Porto to join Premier League club Newcastle United for an estimated €3 million fee.

[22] Six days later, as a half-time substitute for Papiss Cissé, he scored the only goal of the game to defeat Liverpool and give Newcastle their fourth successive win.

[45] On 11 April 2021, Pérez was one of three players dropped from Leicester's squad for the game against West Ham United after breaching COVID-19 protocols.

[49] Later that year, on 5 June, following Leicester City's relegation from the Premier League, it was announced that Pérez and six other first team players would be leaving the club upon the expiration of their contracts at the end of the month.

[53] On 29 August 2014, Pérez received his first call-up to the Spain national under-21 team for the 2015 European Under-21 Championships qualifying matches against Hungary and Austria.

[56] A few days later, on 5 June, he recorded his first goal and assist on his debut in a 5–0 friendly victory against Andorra at the Estadio Nuevo Vivero.

His cousin María José Pérez is a forward for Levante UD Femenino and the Spain women's national team.

[60] After leaving Newcastle, Perez became the subject of a comedy-drama based on a true story when a teenage girl convinced her parents to buy the property next to his.