Arsenal and January transfer signings. There is something inherently discordant about this scenario which has automatically inculcated into the system of the reporters and even the backpages know that they will do well to steer clear of Arsenal during this highly frenetic one month at the start of the year.
But we have stumbled upon something which makes us digress from design and it is a report which links Arsenal to a player. Yes, a new player who will come in and try to stake a claim to play first team football and help the side to achieve their objectives. But he will cost money and to popular belief, that is what has been putting Wenger off from doing all the above things for years now.
But cut to the chase, it is Porto’s Danilo Pereira who has apparently caught the eye of Arsene Wenger and the Frenchman has asked his scouts to keep a tab on him. And the most shocking part of the interest is that the Portuguese is said to have a whopping £34.5m release clause in his contract. Yes, certainly worth a whoop just because it is Arsenal he is linked to.
While such a high-profile signing of someone in the winter transfer window who is expected to slot into the first team is not something we associate with the Gunners, especially after they spent a neat amount of cash in summer for the exact same position, the situation demands that Wenger looks into this potential deal.
It is no secret that Arsenal have failed to replicate the grit, determination and steel in midfield they had in the yesteryears. For a long time, a lack of fighting spirit, especially in the centre of the park was touted as one of the main reasons why Arsenal failed to put up serious title challenges. And although Granit Xhaka’s signing was meant to change all that, it has sadly, to an extent backfired.
He took too long to settle and once given a run, he has wasted no time in showing his careless and reckless side. Hence, Danio looks like someone who needs to come in.
Pereira actually started his career with Porto’s big rivals Benfica but left to join Parma after the Portuguese giants decided against offering him a professional contract. Loan spells followed in Greece and Holland before he returned to Portugal to sign for Maritimo, where he spent two successful campaigns. Porto snapped him up in July 2015, handing him a four-year deal which included a €40m release clause.
He is the quintessential protector of the back four with a physical approach and someone whose defensive attributes far outweigh his offensive endeavours. The Portugal international is not just about power, however, he possesses impressive technique and is not afraid to keep possession when it tight areas. Pereira also has an excellent engine and his fitness levels are impressive and allow him to get up and down the pitch when required.
While the buzz is there for the transfer now, there is a belief that it might probably whittle down to a summer move if they get assurances that they won’t fall down the pecking order in case of multiple clubs approaching him.
