Tottenham need to sell a number of players to generate funds for new recruits this summer. Kyle Walker-Peters has already been sold to Southampton and reports suggest he could be followed through the exit door by Juan Foyth and Serge Aurier.
We’ve been linked with Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal, Max Aarons of Norwich City, Zeki Celik of LOSC Lille, Youcef Atal of OGC Nice and Achraf Hakimi of Real Madrid, but Leicester City’s Ricardo Pereira may be the best option if he’s available.
A threat in attack and diligent in defence
Pereira has all the attributes Jose Mourinho wants in a right-back – high levels of industry, creativity on the ball, always willing to get forward and combative in defence. Last season, the 26-year-old made 33 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals with three assists.
As per WhoScored, Pereira featured 28 times in the Premier League, created 27 chances, completed 78.9% of his 1572 passes, won 42/90 aerial duels, whipped in 60 crosses with 15% finding a teammate, had 18 shots with 28% accuracy, blocked 50 passes/crosses/shots, made 74 clearances, won 37 free-kicks and averaged a tackle (119) or interception (49) every 15 minutes.
The Portuguese international has made 70 appearances in all competitions since joining Leicester from FC Porto in 2018, scoring six goals with 10 assists. He’s been a regular at the King Power Stadium and is regarded as one of the best right-backs in the top-flight.
How much would Pereira cost?
Leicester paid £19.8m for Pereira two years ago and his Transfermarkt market value has since risen to £28.8m. CIES Football Observatory value him at €30m-€40m (£27.1m-£36.2m), but it’s hard to see the Foxes accepting that figure – the 26-year-old has three years remaining on his deal and is one of the best in his position in the league.
Money is tight for Tottenham this summer too, so Pereira might be out of reach unless Daniel Levy can either allocate more resources to Jose Mourinho or make a profit on Serge Aurier’s sale.
Summary
Leicester have no obligation to sell Pereira, but the growing interest could unsettle him. Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are keeping an eye on Pereira, and the 26-year-old admitted in an interview with Record (h/t Sport Witness) that he’s “ambitious” and “will always look for the best in my career”, so is there a chance Tottenham could lure him to North London?
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