Matheus Pereira is attracting interest from clubs in English football.placeholder image
Matheus Pereira is attracting interest from clubs in English football. | Getty Images
Matheus Pereira was a real fan favourite throughout his time at West Brom, and now a return to English football could be on the cards
Former West Brom playmaker Matheus Pereira is believed to be weighing up a potential return to English football after leaving the Hawthorns in 2021. Brazilian outlet Bola VIP reported on Thursday that the attacking midfielder has received a number of inquiries about returning to English football in 2026.
Pereira is in the final year of his contract at top-flight Brazilian outfit Cruzeiro, and is expected to hold key discussions with the club’s representatives over his long-term future by the start of next month.
The 29-year-old is thought to be happy in Belo Horizonte. He’s been with the club for over two years now after his loan deal from Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal was made permanent in 2024 after an initial loan spell.
The one-time Brazil international hasn’t played in Europe for more than four years but is still regarded as a real talent after productive spells with Sporting in the Portuguese capital and more recently in the West Midlands where he was once a real fan favourite with those attending the Hawthorns stadium on a regular basis.
Matheus Pereira was West Brom’s standout player in their last Premier League campaign
Matheus Pereira was one of West Brom’s most popular players during his two-year stay at the club between 2019 and 2021. He first arrived on loan under Slaven Bilić to try and inspire the club back into the top division after a near miss in the play-offs the previous year under Darren Moore.
The former Sporting playmaker was signed permanently after promotion and continued to showcase his credentials in the top-flight. Despite the club’s 20th finish, Pereira proved a shining light with 11 goals and six assists as the club finished bottom of the table under Bilic and later Sam Allardyce, who was appointed mid-season.
The highlight of the season for the club, proved to be a Pereira-inspired 5-2 victory away at 10-man Chelsea, which ended Thomas Tuchel’s 14-game unbeaten start. Pereira scored twice and made two assists at Stamford Bridge, in a feat made even more impressive by the fact that their opponents would go on to win the Champions League that same season.
Is Matheus Pereira likely to return to English football?
As it stands, Pereira is thought to be happy playing his football in Brazil. He’s still playing really well, leading in shots on target (23), chances created from open play (51), successful passes in the final third (366) and duels won (162) in the top-flight. However, Pereira’s existing deal runs until mid-2026, meaning he could sign a pre-contract with any club at the end of next season if they were to offer him a suitable package.
A combination of Premier League and Championship clubs are reported to have shown interest in him. Though reports in Brazil have failed to name the exact clubs. West Brom after generating a significant amount from the sale of Tom Fellows will hope that they can be one of the contenders while perhaps Wolves, who are bottom of the Premier League could be another. The Old Gold have a good history with Brazil players - they current have Andre and Joao Gomes on the books and previously had Matheus Cunha before his high-profile £62.5m move to Manchester United in the summer.
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