Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are embroiled in a three-way battle for Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira.
Andreas Pereira, 28, has been a fine performer for Fulham since arriving from Manchester United in July 2022. After several loan spells with Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo, the Brazilian midfielder has found a home at Craven Cottage. He has clocked 82 appearances for Fulham across all competitions, registering eight goals and 15 assists.
The 28-year-old was the subject of interest from Atletico Madrid in January but Fulham were reluctant to let him go. However, Pereira is unlikely to stay at the West London club, which is open to selling him for £ 30-35 million this summer. Premier League trio Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have all reportedly expressed an interest in signing Pereira.
It is believed that the three-cap Brazilian international agreed with Fulham boss Marco Silva not to leave the Cottagers in his first two seasons. Now, both the player and the club are ready to part ways, with agent Kia Joorabchian handling the talks.
Premier League trio battling for Andreas Pereira’s signature
Even if Andreas Pereira is not exactly someone who falls into the world-class bracket, he was a key performer for Fulham last season and would be missed if he left them, while his presence at a Premier League rival could be damaging for the Whites in the race for a top-half finish.
The 28-year-old is a creative and dynamic midfielder who puts in a lot of shifts and provides a goal threat. It is easy to see why Newcastle would be an attractive destination for Pereira, who can operate in multiple positions across the centre of the park.
Bruno Guimaraes has been linked with a move away from St James’ Park, and with Newcastle’s spending power capped due to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, they may be forced to sell their star midfielder this summer. With the potential fee they receive after selling Bruno, the Magpies could invest in reshaping the squad. And Pereira could turn out to be a smart, low-risk investment for the club.
As for Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou will be hoping to get into the top four next term after narrowly missing out this past campaign. With Spurs set for the Europa League, they will have an additional workload and, as such, require more squad depth. They could do well by bringing in a Premier League-proven commodity like Pereira.
However, the ex-Manchester United man wants to play in the Champions League next season, which gives an instant edge to Aston Villa over Newcastle and Spurs. Unai Emery is keen on strengthening his squad after qualifying for the Champions League and has set his sights on Pereira. Since Emery has arrived at Villa Park, Villa have made some fine signings and the 28-year-old seems to be the latest target in that recruitment strategy.
That said, it remains to be seen where Pereira ends up before the 2024/25 campaign commences.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
