Leeds United have comfortably achieved Premier League survival, and they’re on course for a top half finish.
Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta will still want to add new recruits this summer, and an intriguing link emerged last week.
The Express reported that Leeds want to sign West Bromwich Albion playmaker Matheus Pereira, though Leicester City, West Ham United and RB Leipzig are also keen.
Pereira, 25, has excelled in the Premier League this season with 10 goals and six assists in 32 games, having racked up eight goals and 16 assists last term.
The Brazilian surely won’t be playing in the Championship next season, and will attract plenty of interest following West Brom’s relegation.
West Brom hero Garry Thompson has now offered his view on Pereira, telling The Sunday Mirror (16/05, p70) that he thinks the Baggies will win the Championship at a canter if Pereira stays.
Thompson feels that Pereira is a match-winner, but doesn’t do any of the defensive side of the game as he focuses on making an impact going forward – and he isn’t sure that West Brom will manage to keep him.
“If they keep Pereira, they’ll walk the Championship,” said Thompson. “That’s how good he is. He is a match-winner. I love him as a player – but if we had been in the same team, I would have chinned him! He doesn’t do any of the horrible work. He doesn’t do the chasing back. He just says, ‘give me the ball and let me do my thing’. But he brings so much, you have to let him off for that. The Albion really need to keep him – and I’m not sure they will,” he added.
Those comments may be a red flag for Leeds, because Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play requires everybody to work hard and press around the pitch.
Would Pereira fit that structure? Potentially not. He’s technically ideal for Leeds and provides great creativity going forward, but if he doesn’t do the defensive side of the game, he won’t play for Bielsa.
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