West Bromwich Albion are reportedly ‘nailed on’ to sign Hawthorns on-loan ace Matheus Pereira – which would be a huge boost for the Baggies and Slaven Bilic.
One of West Bromwich Albion’s most important players so far this season is currently only on loan at The Hawthorns but a report has emerged claiming that the Baggies are “nailed on” to sign Matheus Pereira permanently in January (Teamtalk).
The Sporting Lisbon winger, who spent last year in the Bundesliga with Nurnberg on loan from the Portuguese giants, was one of the main summer targets at The Hawthorns, with talks having gone on for weeks before the breakthrough (official website).
It took Pereira a few weeks to acclimatise to the English game and get up to full speed but he is now one of the first names on Slaven Bilic’s team sheet – itself boasting many superb candidates – as he continues to put in high-calibre displays for Albion, who currently sit top of the Championship table.
The 23-year-old has made 20 league appearances for Slaven Bilic’s side, scoring five goals and registering a frightening 14 assists en route to top spot in the table amid a fierce battle with fellow high-flyers Leeds United, but along with the impressive numbers, his performances have won plaudits from Baggies and neutrals alike.
According to Teamtalk, an option-to-buy clause was added to Pereira’s loan deal for a figure believed to be in the region of £9million, and with his success at West Brom combined with his parent club having since brought in Luciano Vietto, it is believed that the Baggies are frontrunners for his services.
“Pereira had fallen out of favour in Lisbon due to a reported attitude problem, which made him a risky signing for Bilic at the time,” the report wrote.
“However, it seems like Bilic’s gamble has paid off with the winger emerging as a real superstar at the Hawthorns this season… the Brazilian would be an absolute steal considering West Brom are looking to strengthen ahead of their promotion push.”
Pereira, who came through the ranks at Sporting, is currently contracted to the Primeira Liga club until the summer of 2022 (Transfermarkt).
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