West Bromwich Albion have given their hopes of survival a shot in the arm, but relegation still looks likely for the Baggies.
Wins over Chelsea and Southampton have been welcome surprises, though Sam Allardyce’s men remain eight points adrift of safety with just seven games to play.
It’s still looking likely that West Brom will go down, and UOL Esporte in Brazil claim that the Baggies are already preparing to sell off ‘magician’ Matheus Pereira for around €20million (£17.5million).
West Brom may feel they need a big sale to dip into the market for new recruits, and Pereira would be an appealing target for many clubs – and Leeds United should be interested.
Leeds should be in the market for another playmaking midfielder this summer, as Pablo Hernandez is now approaching the end of his career and his influence hasn’t quite been matched by anyone else yet.
Pereira fits the bill; he’s racked up 45 key passes in the Premier League this season; more than Riyad Mahrez, James Maddson, Ilkay Gundogan, James Rodriguez and Mateusz Klich.
At just 24, Pereira may still have his best years ahead of him, and his versatility to play out wide has to be appealing given Marcelo Bielsa’s tendency to work with a tight squad.
The price for Pereira is similar to that of Raphinha last summer, and he can provide similar Brazilian flair in the final third, with the duo a potentially dangerous tandem in the final third for Leeds.
Pereira finds himself in great form right now; three goals and two assists in his last two games. He’s showing that he can make a real impact in the Premier League, and that should put him on Victor Orta’s radar.
Leeds may think they can get a bigger name now having achieved Premier League survival, but Pereira’s technical ability and proven creativity, Orta should be looking into a possible move for the former Sporting man this summer.
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