Danny Wright

Sun 28 June 2020 13:30, UK

We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…

Kevin Phillips is delighted to see that Matheus Pereira is all but officially a West Brom player now a permanent deal with Sporting CP has been triggered.

Albion have not announced that the 24-year-old has been snapped up on a full-time basis just yet but he made his 30th start against Birmingham last week and that triggered a clause in his loan deal to make the move permanent.

Pereira is costing the Baggies just £9million in total – a stunning piece of business by Luke Dowling and everyone else involved behind the scenes at The Hawthorns.

Ex-Albion forward Phillips is thrilled by the transfer.

“It’s a huge boost, not just for the club but for the player himself because hopefully, he’ll be plying his trade in the Premier League next season,” Phillips told West Brom News. “That’s when the big test comes.

“From what I’ve seen, it looks like he can step up but it’s no guarantee.

“To secure his services, for the money you’re talking about, it’s a no-brainer. It’s a great deal.”

Pereira’s been brilliant on the whole for West Brom this season but it would be fair to say that he hasn’t shone as much as fans would have hoped against Birmingham and Brentford.

He did well in those games and was definitely West Brom’s most creative outlet but it seems like he is trying to do it all on his own at the moment to help revive Albion’s stuttering form.

If anyone is going to dig the Baggies out of the rut they are currently in then it’s Pereira but he needs to do it sooner rather than later with third-placed Brentford now within five points of Slaven Bilic’s side.

In other West Brom news, Bilic is eyeing up a move for this West Ham defender.

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