They are certainly packing them inside the Leeds United Transfer Tombola™ – it must be jam-packed and rammed in there at the moment.
In a report earlier today, Inside Futbol reported that Leeds United have rekindled the interest that they showed earlier in the year in 29-year old, 63-cap Uruguay international Alvaro Pereira. In the article from earlier this year, January 28, Inside Futbol reported that ex-Manchester United player Juan Sebastian Veron “played his part in keeping Leeds United from pulling off a sensational transfer coup” in signing full-back Pereira with the Uruguayan instead going to Argentinian side Estudiantes, a team who Veron is the President of. Pereira chose to sign for the Argentinian side who had a purchase option of around €3m, an option they are not exercising meaning that the Uruguayan is returning to Inter Milan.
According to the sport channel of popular website La Gazetta dello Sport, as reported by tuttomercatoweb, it seems that Leeds United could well be ready to rekindle their burgeoning interest from January for a man who signed for Inter Milan, on August 27 2012, for a figure reputed to be £10.56m and who has commanded transfer fees totaling £18.66m. Before transferring, on loan, to Estudiantes, Pereira was playing for São Paulo in Brazil, appearing in 21 games between April and November 2014 in Brazil’s Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A.
Alvaro Pereira’s São Paulo returns 2014; per typical 90 minutes
- 45 successful tackles from 58 attempts (78% success); 2.3 tackles from 3 attempts per 90
- 57 interceptions of opponent ball; 3 intercepts per 90
- 39 clearances of opponent ball; 2 clearances per 90
- 44 defensive blocks of opponent ball; 2.3 defensive blocks per 90
- 32 losses of possession; 1.6 losses of possession per 90
- 22 headed balls won from 32 contested (69% success); 1.1 headed balls won per 90
- 632 accurate passes from 850 attempts (74% accuracy); 33 accurate passes from 44 attempts per 90
Leeds pulling off this would not only be a coup, it would be a massive coup…should it be true and not just the usual ‘rumour mill’ sparking up. Still, Leeds United would be getting a genuine international player who is at the top of his game. Pereira, should he sign, would be a veritable shoe-in at left back and would definitely shore up that left side of defence, providing genuine class in the left back position. Defensively, he looks solid with around 10 defensive actions per typical 90 minutes of action, including 3 intercepts and just a shade over 2 blocks. As well as this, numbers aside, it would be an absolutely massive coup and a signing that would be a definite signal of intent for a side wishing to push onward towards promotion.
