Joseph Masi thinks that West Bromwich Albion midfielder Matheus Pereira could be on his way out of the club this summer.
Having been sensational in the Championship last season with eight goals and 20 assists, things haven’t quite gone as well for him following the step up to the Premier League, with only five goals and three assists in the top flight, although the same could be said about a lot of the Baggies team as they sit eight points from safety.
With relegation looking like an inevitability at this stage, talk has begun on who is likely to leave the club this summer in order to fund their rebuild for the Championship, and speaking on the latest edition of Baggies Broadcast, Masi thinks that the Brazilian playmaker, valued at £11.7m on Transfermarkt, could be one of the men that ends up being on the move.
He said: “I think they’ll sell a player or two if they go down. I think Pereira will leave if they go down. That’s just my opinion, it’s not based on any knowledge, it really isn’t. I just think he will go. I think clubs across Europe will be looking at him, maybe one or two in the Premier League, I’m not sure, but I think he’ll have plenty of options.”
Would you consider Matheus Pereira a key player for West Brom?
No, he's not that good
Yes, he's a class player
TIF Thoughts on Joseph Masi’s comments about Matheus Pereira’s future…
Masi’s comments might be giving Pereira a little bit too much credit after the season that he has had, and leaning too much on what he did in the Championship and expecting that to be what draws people in.
Whilst there was bound to be some drop-off expected given the increased level of competition and quality in the Premier League, it’s not as if he has been the shining star in a team that is fighting desperately to stay up that makes him a certainty to play in the league next year – like Scott Parker’s season for West Ham United in 2010/11, for example. Indeed, he’s only fifth in the team when it comes to their WhoScored ratings.
This should make Baggies fans happy, because his effectiveness in the Championship might be worth more to them than what they could get back if they sold him, so they’ll probably be hoping that he stays on.