Tottenham Hotspur are believed to have joined Chelsea and Aston Villa in the race for Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira this summer.
That’s according to Brazilian outlet Globo with the suggestion being that Spurs’ turn to the Cottagers man could come as they give up on any hopes of bringing Crystal Palace man Eberechi Eze to North London. It had been believed that Spurs would offer the £60 million demanded by the Eagles but Manchester City could now be frontrunners as they look to find a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne – the Belgian is linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
Ange Postecoglou’s side will face a battle for Pereira. Not only is the former Manchester United a key part of Marco Silva’s Fulham set-up, but he is supposedly a target for Chelsea and Aston Villa too.
Fulham paid £10 million to sign the player, who is a childhood Arsenal fan, from the Red Devils permanently in 2022 and Pereira put pen to paper on a four-year contract. That deal still has another two years to run, which would put the west London club in a strong position for negotiations.
The Cottagers have already played hardball when selling Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich this summer, rejecting multiple bids before accepting a £47.4 million offer. Having already lost an important midfield man, Fulham could be reluctant to see Pereira leave – although have been linked with serious transfer interest in Arsenal man Emile Smith-Rowe, who could be an ideal replacement.
Globo adds that Pereira has in fact reached an agreement with Silva to leave Fulham. The player and manager are known to be very close and often praise one another. Silva hailed the playmaker as ‘outstanding’ shortly after signing him while in April Pereira said: “I have a great relationship with him. He’s always put a lot of confidence in me.
“This season has been a special season for me with a lot of ups and downs, but I came back from an injury. He’s always kept believing me and that’s what’s important. It’s a lot of hard work. He’s always been speaking with me about arriving more in the box and get opportunities to score. I’ve been working a lot with him, with Boa and with everyone, today it’s finally paid off and I’m being happy.”
A £35 million is touted for any possible transfer, with Chelsea supposedly readying a bid of that amount for the Brazil international, who is viewed as a potential for Conor Gallagher should the England international move to Spurs.
