West Bromwich Albion are already planning to offer a new contract to one of their summer arrivals and it could prove to be a stroke of genius from Luke Dowling…
What’s the word?
According to the ever-reliable John Percy at the Telegraph, the Baggies are set to hand wing sensation Matheus Pereira lucrative new terms just two months after signing permanently.
He claims that the 24-year-old is in line for a £15k-per-week increase on his current pay packet of £30k-per-week having emerged as one of Slaven Bilic’s most integral players.
The move will take Pereira closer to Albion’s top-earners, namely Kieran Gibbs, Charlie Austin and Jake Livermore.
Dowling masterstroke
This proactive approach could turn out to be a defining moment for the Midlands club as well as their sporting and technical director.
West Brom have often rested on their laurels with their key stars – think back to Dwight Gayle at the end of the 2018/19 campaign. He was on loan and after an emphatic 24-goal campaign, they should’ve tied him up permanently.
They didn’t and it’s taken until this month to finally find a viable replacement in Karlan Grant.
At least with Pereira, they’ve managed to do the first part – securing him down as a contracted player and the decision to already give him a new contract means he is very much in their future plans, for the long-term.
It shows that Dowling has learned his lessons quickly and if any interested party wants to come in for him – whether that be in January or next summer – they’ll face an uphill battle to do so from day one.
Sky Sports pundit Keith Andrews named Pereira as his ‘Player of the Season,” he said: “I’m going to go for Pereira because I have been blown away by his skill, his ability on the ball, the way he takes the game to the opposition and the vision he has. He is such an all-round attacking player and isn’t just one type of No 10. I think he is at his best in the centre, but we have seen him play from the right and the left, too.”
The £11.7m-rated superstar, once dubbed a “genius” by former coach Nate Weiss, is the sort of player that Bilic can build his team around for years to come. No wonder they want to keep a tight grasp over him.
AND in other news, £50k-per-week FLOP is bleeding West Brom dry, he needs to be sold in January…