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Leeds United actively pursuing West Brom attacker Matheus Pereira, Marcelo Bielsa is a big fan
Leeds United are actively pursuing West Brom attacker Matheus Pereira this summer, according to ESPN reporter João Castelo-Branco.
The Brazilian journalist claims Marcelo Bielsa “likes the player a lot”, while the Whites were one of the first clubs to ask about the 25-year-old’s situation earlier in the transfer window.
Pereira is said to prefer a move to a side playing in Europe this season, but he has outlined an interest in the possibility of moving to Leeds.
However, it’s also claimed that West Ham, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa have also expressed their interest in the Brazilian.
Currently, Pereira is said to be valued at £30million.
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Pereira enjoyed a terrific 2020/21 campaign for West Brom, even if the West Midlands club suffered relegation heartache at the end of it.
He started off relatively slowly, but he was one of the stars of the second half of the season, scoring a slew of crucial goals and providing a creative spark in a side that was drained of it.
Indeed, former Wales international Robbie Savage hailed him as “incredible” on BT Sport in April [22/04/21].
The Whites witnessed first-hand just how poor their Premier League rivals were last season, smashing them 5-0 in the first game before winning 3-1 in the reverse fixture.
Pereira ended the season with 11 goals and six assists in the Premier League, comfortably ahead of any teammate in either category.
He has mostly played on the right-hand side of the attack, though his versatility ensures he can be used from the left or in the centre.
As such, we can envision him lining up as an advanced playmaker under Bielsa, filling the void left by Pablo Hernandez.
‘El Mago’ may not have played a significant role last season, but his imprint was left on the club and that’s probably something we missed in parts last season.
Some more ingenuity is surely craved from the centre, and Pereira could provide just that.
In other Leeds United news, a talkSPORT pundit has shared this Kalvin Phillips concern live on-air.