Why Ricardo Pereira could be a statement signing for Tottenham
According to claims from Belgian outlet, Gazet van Antwerpen, as relayed by the Leicestershire Live, Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Leicester City right-back Ricardo Pereira ahead of the January transfer window.
The same report adds that the Foxes have identified Royal Antwerp star Aurelio Buta as a potential replacement should Pereira complete a move to North London in the coming days.
The 26-year-old, who completed a move to the King Power Stadium from Portuguese giants FC Porto for a fee of around £22 million in the summer of 2018, went on to enjoy an impressive debut campaign in the Premier League, scoring twice and assisting seven times in 35 league appearances for the Foxes.
Pereira has enhanced his reputation even further this term, starting each of Leicester’s 17 games in the Premier League so far and playing every minute of the club’s campaign. With two goals and an assist to his name already, the Portuguese international has been one of the key driving forces behind Leicester’s surge up to second in the standings under Brendan Rodgers.
Meanwhile, Tottenham have made significant strides towards resurrecting their campaign since Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino at the helm of affairs last month, with the Lilywhites winning four of their first five league games under the new manager.
Having bagged a smash-and-grab 2-1 victory over Wolves in the Premier League on Matchday 17, Spurs are now set to play host to London rivals, Chelsea, on Sunday and a victory could possibly see Mourinho’s men usurp the 4th-placed Blues in the standings.
To that end, Tottenham are right back in the top-four mix heading into the second half of the campaign following a string of positive results in recent weeks and Mourinho will surely need to reshape his squad to his liking when the transfer window reopens in January.
Bolstering the backline with some quality recruits could be a priority, with the long-serving veteran central defensive duo of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen out of contract at the end of the ongoing campaign.
As well as that, lack of depth in the right-back department has also been a nagging issue at the club since the departure of Kieran Trippier to Atletico Madrid this past summer.
Indeed, Mourinho has shown a lot of trust in Serge Aurier, who has repaid the manager’s faith in his abilities with some impressive displays in recent weeks, but one does get the feeling that Tottenham will eventually need to bring in an upgrade on the Ivorian if they are to challenge for silverware.
Academy graduate Kyle Walker-Peters has failed to make much of an impression while Juan Foyth, primarily a centre-back by trade, is only seen as a stop-gap option on the right-hand side of the backline.
To put things into perspective, Tottenham’s interest in Ricardo Pereira certainly makes a lot of sense, given that the Portuguese international has carved out a big reputation for him as one of the best attacking right-backs in the Premier League.
Verdict
The 26-year-old is very much in his prime and his well-rounded attributes at both ends of the pitch will undoubtedly make him a massive upgrade on Aurier, whose consistency has often been called into question over the years.
Pereira, though, is one of Leicester’s most influential players and has a contract at the King Power Stadium until 2023, meaning that Tottenham might have to break the bank the get a deal over the line in a bid to bring the Portuguese star to North London.
With that in mind, however, he could be well worth the outlay moving forward, given his obvious quality at both ends of the pitch coupled with the fact that he still has plenty of years remaining in his prime.
Hence, it is a no-brainer that Pereira could be a good long-term defensive fix for the Lilywhites moving forward and he fits the bill as a player with proven Premier League pedigree who certainly offers good value for money in the market.
As per whoscored, Pereira boasts of a pass completion rate of 79.9, including 1.5 aerial duels, 4.4 tackles, 2 interceptions, 0.9 key passes, 2.8 clearances, 2.3 dribbles and 2.2 long balls per game in the Premier League this term, figures which certainly do justice to his reputation as one of the best in his position in the entire division.
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Having said that, Ricardo Pereira ticks all the boxes to come through the door at Tottenham as a marquee signing in January and it would be a real coup for the North Londoners if they do manage to pull off this transfer.
