Transfer News:
Ahead of the current season, there were constant thoughts of how well Everton had transformed them in the summer transfer window. With the sizeable influx of cash, they almost fulfilled Ronald Koeman’s transfer wish list and accordingly strengthened their squad following the sale of Romelu Lukaku for a huge fee.
They were even expected to surprise and eventually challenge their Merseyside rivals, Liverpool. However, as the season progressed, things started going awry and hence Koeman fell out of favour with the club. They ended up replacing him with Sam Allardyce at around the half-season mark and hence one expected some kind of response or revival from the players. Unfortunately, things have been disappointing for the Toffees as they have been underwhelming and the players seem to lack intent and desire to prove out their point on the field.
Hence, reinforcements in the squad seem to be very likely and hence a recent report has linked Ricardo Pereira with a move to Everton. The player was expected to move to Tottenham before, but well, according to this report, Everton seem to be very likely to complete this transfer.
Ricardo Pereira: Fact file
Ricardo Pereira is actually a right back but is well capable of playing in any position on the right flank actually. His ability to dribble past players with ease combined with a tremendous change of pace work in his favour. Pereira is very quick on the flank and is decisive while going ahead due to his footwork and ability to pick the right man from the wings.
He can carry the ball ahead, switch the play to the centre or stretch the backline to put in some testing deliveries too. Pereira’s vision from the flanks is commendable too as he can almost very accurately create goal-scoring chances in abundance despite playing as a fullback regularly.
He is strong on the defensive front too, as his positioning hardly allows the wingers to carve out space on the wing. Pereira’s tackling helps him take off the ball from the opposition and hence that allows him to recover and recycle the possession of the ball. He has already scored twice and assisted four times in 37 appearances in all competitions this season.
Should Everton make a move?
Everton have been leaky and miserable in defence at times this season and that has resulted in them letting go a number of unwanted goals. His sturdy attitude at the back will help them be more stringent in defence whilst Pereira’s attacking contributions will make him a viable addition to the squad. He already has Champions League playing experience and hence that would be an upgrade on the current crop of players at Everton’s disposal. Ricardo Pereira’s addition would surely be a welcome move for the club.
