Update emerges on ex-West Brom star Matheus Pereira - he could seal return to English football | OneFootball

The Brazilian playmaker is reportedly on the radar of English sides ahead of the January window

A new update concerning former West Bromwich Albion favourite Matheus Pereira has emerged, and it's one which will certainly intrigue those at The Hawthorns.

That's because, according to a report from Brazilian news outlet, Bolavip, the attacking midfielder could be set for a return to English football as early as the upcoming transfer window.

The aforementioned report cites that many sides struggling for form, or to achieve what goals they set out at the start of the season, are already forward-planning towards a crucial period in which reinforcements can be added to pack out the squad with quality in order to stave off relegation or secure promotion.

Pereira currently plies his trade with Brazilian Serie A side, Cruzeiro, and is reportedly out-of-contract at the Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto come mid-2026.

However, almost five years after he bid farewell to the West Midlands side for a hefty fee following their relegation from the Premier League under the management of Sam Allardyce, the 29-year-old could soon return to these shores, despite the best efforts of his current employers to keep him in Belo Horizonte for the long run.

As previously mentioned, the dynamic attacking midfielder is currently on the books of Cruzeiro, where he has played since July 2023.

Initially joining on loan from Al-Hilal of the Saudi Pro League, Pereira made a permanent return to his home country for a reported €5.5m in the summer of 2024, before being named as the club's Player of the Year after racking up a total of eight goals and seven assists in 34 league appearances.

Throughout the 2025 campaign thus far, the one-time international has continued to be in inspired form for his hometown club, scoring six times and posting a further nine assists across all competitions as Cruzeiro currently find themselves third in the table with eight matches remaining.

Unsurprisingly, such form has alerted a handful of unnamed English clubs, according to Bolavip's aforementioned report.

However, it has also been stated that Cruzeiro wish to offer Pereira a fresh contract extension ahead of his current deal's expiration next year.

Pereira will reportedly engage in talks with the hierarchy in December, with it being believed that he intends to stay at the club and is hoping for at least a two-year extension with the option of a further year until the summer of 2029, which would only protect his valuation as clubs begin to circle his signature for a potential pre-contract agreement.

Matheus Pereira is still loved by West Brom fans after stellar contributions

Unsurprisingly, one club where Pereira is still very much held in high regard is West Brom, where he enjoyed two seasons under the management of Slaven Bilic and the aforementioned Allardyce.

Bilic struck a reported £750,000 loan agreement with Sporting CP in the summer of 2019 to secure his services on an initial loan basis, before the deal was eventually made permanent for £9m in July 2020 amid the bizarre resumption of Albion's promotion campaign due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Pereira was instrumental in securing a second-place finish in the Championship for the Baggies in his first season, scoring eight times and posting a remarkable 20 assists, before continuing to be the club's standout performer in their underwhelming solitary campaign back in the Premier League.

He was still able to record 11 goals and six assists in 33 appearances before joining Al-Hilal for an undisclosed fee in August 2021, where he was set to earn an annual wage fee of £4m.

It remains to be seen which English sides are interested in his services at present, and those in the West Midlands will certainly hope their club is one of those, as unrealistic as the prospect of a reunion may currently be.