Now that the threat of relegation is behind them, it is no surprise that West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers are focusing on the summer.
Neither club can risk another season at the bottom and both are in dire need of reliable creators if they are to return to the top half of the Championship.
That's why the Baggies need to finally replace Matheus Pereira and why Blackburn are ready to push their Premier League rivals to sign just that this summer.
West Brom have yet to replace Pereira
In terms of individual brilliance, West Brom will struggle to find a player as talented as Pereira.
The Brazilian made Championship football look normal and took the Premier League by storm. He is exactly the player every promoted side needs if they are to stand a chance of avoiding immediate relegation.
|
Pereira at West Brom |
|
|---|---|
|
Games |
77 |
|
Goals |
20 |
|
It helps |
26 |
The Baggies have been without that quality since Pereira left in 2021. They have seen a gradual fall from the top six and fall into the danger of relegation. It is only thanks to James Morrison's spell in charge that they are not a League One side at the moment.
Landing a repeat for the Brazilian should be a priority for almost any Championship club this summer, including Blackburn. If they can find the quality of the player who once destroyed West Brom, they could drop back into the top six, themselves.
Who that player is is still a big question. It would take a huge gamble for any club to land the next Pereira.
According to Sports Boom earlier this year, West Brom and Blackburn have made inquiries about signing Dele Alli, who is still running on a free transfer a year after leaving Como in Italy.
Why West Brom should take the Dele Alli gamble
No one doubts how big a gamble it would be to sign Dele at this stage. The last time the midfielder started a football match was back in February 2023 when he was on loan from Everton at Besiktas. That happened more than three years ago.
The image of the former player, the young star who drew comparisons to Steven Gerrard, is beginning to fade. The alarm for the 2026 World Cup that he admits he set off has become more difficult than motivating. But even after so much personal turmoil, pure talent doesn't evaporate like physical attributes do.
At his best, Dele could be West Brom's new Pereira. He is certainly a player of the same caliber, who has shone in the Champions League for the past several months.
|
League statistics |
Subtract 19/20 |
Ferreira 20/21 |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
1,851 |
2,581 |
|
Goals |
8 |
11 |
|
It helps |
4 |
6 |
|
Opportunities are created |
23 |
60 |
|
Touch in the objection box |
81 |
70 |
The last time Dele came even closer to his prime came in the 2019/20 season. He was involved in 12 goals that season and caught 81 in the opposition box. He was at the heart of everything Tottenham did going forward.
Pereira had a similar impact at West Brom in the 20/21 season. With 17 goal involvements to his name, the South American took on a major role as his talisman – a position they have not filled with the same effect since.
It would be easy to shut Dele down. He is 30 years old, without a club and showing no signs of regaining his best form. That's not, however, a free agent – a free gamble to take. It's a win-win situation for West Brom. If he prospers, they are precious. If he failed, they did not overspend.
There is still time for the former England player to save his career. No one thought that Tyson Fury would return to the boxing ring. He then did the unthinkable against Deontay Wilder and became a world champion. Now, it's over with Dele to complete an impossible sporting comeback.
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