According to reports, North London club Tottenham Hotspur are now weighing up a deal for FC Porto right back Ricardo Pereira. The 23-year-old defender has had a promising season last term with the Portuguese giants showing brilliant progress since moving in 2015.
After a good season in the Premier League, which saw the Lilywhites finish second in the league table above the cash-rich Manchester United and Manchester City with a comparatively young core of players, Mauricio Pochettino has every reason to believe that he has a more or less complete side to compete for Europe’s biggest trophy next season.
In the Argentine, the players have found a great nurturer who knows their strengths and weaknesses quite well and with all the starlets bound by long-term contracts, Tottenham are in a happy place for sure. However, the only area they would need serious reinforcements are the defensive flanks.
While Danny Rose left the team with a huge void to fill in the second half of the season, Kyle Walker looks exit bound following reports of a rift with the manager. Earlier reports had claimed that the 28-year-old had decided in the spring itself of leaving the club, although Tottenham have shown a reluctance in letting him go.
They have labelled him at £60 million to evade suitors, but Manchester City look determined to get him as they have reportedly offered to double his wage at £70, 000 a week. Hence, Spurs looking elsewhere makes a lot of sense and in Pereira, they could really get a level up on that right defensive flank.
The Portugal international has shown glimpses of brilliance over the last few years with his aggressive approach and tremendous pace on the ball. He is more like Danny Rose with his attributes of phenomenal dribbling and the ability to find key passes. Although at just 175cm, Pereira does lack aerial dominance, his amazing strength and capacity to hold the ball make him a dangerous player to have on one’s side.
Another huge catch is his versatility in both defence and offence. He has played as a right back, right defensive midfield, left back, right winger as well as an attacking midfield last season. Pochettino can use him at almost every position to fill in gaps and that is why he is ready to meet his £22 million release clause.
An academy product of Sporting Lisbon, Pereira has spent numerous underage loan stints with the likes of Naval 1º de Maio U19 and Vitória Guimarães SC U19 before FC Porto’s B side took him in 2013. He was sent on a short loan stint with Ligue 1’s OGC Nice in 2015 and since his return, there has been no turning back. Surely, he could be an able replacement for Kyle Walker.
