Andreas Pereira has found game time hard to come at Manchester United (Getty Images)
According to the Sun, Manchester United are willing to offload 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder Andreas Pereira in January, sparking a £10million transfer tussle between London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal.
Pereira is currently in the last year of his current contract which is set to expire next summer but United have the option of extending it for another 12 months. However, the Red Devils are unlikely to exercise that clause and are willing to sell him in January.
The 22-year-old Brazilian made his Premier League debut back in the 2014-15 season but was loaned out to Spanish clubs Granada and Valencia for the subsequent seasons. Pereira enjoyed a fruitful loan spell at Granda in the 2016-17 season, making 35 appearances in the La Liga where he registered 5 goals and 3 assists.
He followed it up with a decent loan spell at Valencia last season and stayed at Old Trafford this season to push for a spot in the first-team. Pereira started in United’s 2-1 win over Leicester City on the opening day of the season, putting in an impressive shift in midfield.
However, he was taken off at half-time in United’s 3-2 loss against Brighton and Albion and hasn’t started a game in the Premier League since then. Pereira was brought on to play cameos in the drawn encounters against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea in the subsequent weeks.
Quite clearly, Jose Mourinho hasn’t seemed keen to use him in central midfield. Manchester United already have the services of Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini, Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and Fred in their midfield department, making it difficult for Pereira to make the cut on a regular basis.
As things stand, he has been deemed surplus to United’s requirements and the Brazilian would be a wholesome addition to the squad for both Arsenal and Chelsea. However, Arsenal should take the initiative to have the final say in this cut-price deal in January.
While Chelsea are faced with the exit of Cesc Fabregas and Danny Drinkwater, Aaron Ramsey’s departure is bound to create a massive void in midfield for the Gunners.
Irrespective of whether Ramsey is sold in January or he simply leaves the club next summer upon the expiry of his contract, Arsenal will need to sign a replacement for the Welshman and Andreas Pereira ticks all the boxes to be a perfect backup option in the midfield department for the Gunners.
Just like the majority of the footballers hailing from his country, the 22-year-old is blessed with a sound technique which allows him to keep good close control.
A fleet-footed creative midfielder who can also operate as a central midfielder and even as a wide playmaker, Pereira is a tactically versatile player who can add a lot of value to Arsenal’s squad.
He is good with his passing and movement and does not hesitate to drift to the wide areas to supply balls into the box. The Brazilian has got good vision and tends to pick out the runs of his teammates with incisive through balls.
A player with a good eye for goal, Pereira does not hesitate to put his foot through the ball and can find the net with powerful long-range efforts. Furthermore, he is also a set-piece specialist and has the ability to create chances and score goals from free-kicks. The Brazilian is not quite the finished product yet but he is a player with potential.
That said, Arsenal should not hesitate to complete this cut-price deal in January to boost their squad depth.