According to Sky Sports, Arsenal have been in contact with Vitor Pereira regarding their vacant managerial position. The Gunners have recently sacked Unai Emery and are now actively searching for a replacement. Pereira, who is currently managing Shanghai SIPG, has been identified as one of the potential candidates to replace Emery. However, it is believed that Everton currently lead the chase to sign the Portuguese coach.
Who is Vitor Pereira?
Pereira might not be the most prominent name in the managerial world in football. He initially started his career at FC Porto, helping them win two back to back league titles from 2011 to 2013. He then moved to Ahli in Saudi Arabia, before joining Olympiacos in 2015. He endured a couple of bad spells at those clubs, though he did help Olympiacos seal the Super League title in 2015.
It was followed by a move to Fenerbahce, 1860 Munich and finally Shanghai SIPG. He joined the Chinese outfit back in 2017, and his influence has been key behind their rapid rise to prominence. Under Pereira, Shanghai SIPG won the Chinese Super League title in the 2018 campaign.
Hence, it’s quite evident that Pereira is a well-travelled manager whose experience of managing at different clubs around the world has helped him gain more understanding in regards to footballing tactics.
Can he succeed at Arsenal?
Pereira, unfortunately, is a risky option for Arsenal. Despite his wealth of experience managing at different countries around the world, he is still yet to manage in the top five leagues. His stint with Porto remains his most successful spell, which is not enough, especially for a foreign manager.
His lack of experience at the highest level of football, especially the Premier League, could, therefore, prove to be a significant stumbling block for Arsenal. Moreover, it remains a doubt as to whether or not Pereira would be able to get to grips with the English culture as well as the language – something Emery had significant struggles with.
Hence, the Gunners should instead focus on other, more successful alternatives or someone who is quite familiar with English football. The likes of Mikel Arteta, Carlo Ancelotti or even Marcelino are much better options.
At the same time, it would be interesting to see if Everton do manage to secure the services of Pereira and whether or not he would be able to succeed his compatriot if he does jump train.
