Ex-West Brom man Steve Bull has urged the Baggies to fight with tooth and claw to retain Matheus Pereira at the Hawthorns.
Pereira was integral in the Baggies’ promotion as he registered eight goals and 20 assists in just 42 league games as West Brom finished second in the Championship.
The Brazilian playmaker has shown no signs of slowing down this season, with an accomplished record of 7 goals and 5 assists in 26 Premier League appearances – despite the Baggies’ relegation-threatened status.
Speaking to Football FanCast, Bull has claimed that the integral impact of Pereira means that the Baggies must fight to keep him at the club – even if West Brom are relegated at the end of the season: “I don’t know what will happen because it’s one of those where you don’t know his contractual situation either.
“I’m not sure whether Pereira will stop there but I think West Brom have put faith in him this year so he should stick with them next year and help get them straight back out of the Championship.”
Despite the Baggies sitting in the relegation zone, Pereira has been the jewel in Sam Allardyce’s survivalist crown.
He has averaged 3.53 progressive passes per 90 minutes and has a higher per-90 tally of non-penalty goals than the average playmaker in Europe’s top leagues.
Pereira looks comfortable in the Premier League let alone the Championship, and retaining the ex-Sporting Lisbon man could be pivotal if the Baggies wish to progress on the pitch.
However, given his performances this season, you could perhaps forgive him for wanting to test himself at a higher level or jumping ship to stay in the top flight should someone come calling for his services.
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