West Brom struck gold with Matheus Pereira buy-out clause | OneFootball

Matheus Pereira could well be the best Baggies buy in recent history.

Brazilian attacker, Matheus Pereira, signed for West Bromwich Albion, initially on loan. However, after a successful stint at The Hawthorns, he triggered his buy-out clause - a development that would see the Baggies strike gold.

After rising through the ranks at Sporting Lisbon, Pereira was pushing to lock down a starting place with the Portuguese titans. Thanks to some impressive loan spells with GD Chaves and FC Nurnberg, the budding young forward didn't only catch the eye of his parent club.

Slaven Bilic was keen to build his West Brom side for a promotion push. The former West Ham United boss opted to swoop for the Brazilian on loan, with an obligation to buy if certain criteria were met by Pereira. It's fair to say that the Sporting prospect exceeded all expectations, which saw his deal become permanent the following summer. Indeed, inserting that permanent clause was a stroke of genius from Bilic and the Baggies.

Pereira was pivotal in the promotion campaign

After a frustrating season in 2018-19, Albion manager, Bilic, was keen to make sure that he could take the Baggies back to the promised land this time around. Penalty heartbreak at the hands of fierce rivals, Aston Villa, in the play-offs certainly lit a fire among the club to go one better.

Bilic's signings were smart, as he poached quality Championship players such as Semi Ajayi, Darnell Furlong, and Kenneth Zohore from league rivals. Additionally, the Baggies utilized the loan market excellently, bringing in Grady Diangana, Filip Krovinovic, and, of course, Pereira. All three of these players would play a key role in the tale that was about to unfold, particularly the Brazilian.

It didn't take long for the Sporting CP loanee to catch the eye of Championship fans, with his dazzling technique and incredible creativity. These two attributes brought a whole new dimension to the West Brom attack, something they were lacking the season before. With the support of his fellow loanees, Pereira scored eight goals and notched a remarkable 20 assists in 42 league appearances. This was an incredible return for the man from Belo Horizonte, especially considering it was his first venture into English football.

The Baggies didn't need to go through the play-offs this time, as they'd done enough to secure automatic promotion. After the numbers he tallied up that season, Pereira's buy-out clause was triggered, much to the delight of the Baggies faithful. They were able to retain their most important asset ahead of the Premier League challenge, which was an enormous boost.

Pereira excelled in the Premier League, before his disappointing exit

Thanks to his contributions the season before, Pereira was also riding off the back of being named Supporter's Player of the Season at the club, whilst also earning a spot in the EFL Team of the Season. Now a permanent West Brom player, this was the Brazilian's big chance to make an impression at the pinnacle of English football. The confidence he gained from last season's success gave him a platform to build from.

Once again, the then 24-year-old would prove to be the key man for the Baggies. In a miserable season that saw the Midlands club relegated straight back to the Championship, and manager Bilic sacked, Pereira once again proved his ability by outshining the rest of his colleagues consistently. He finished the campaign with 11 goals and six assists in 33 matches, a very impressive return in an Albion side that struggled massively.

It was no surprise that following relegation, plenty of teams higher up the food chain would be seeking Pereira's signature. It was clear from the start of the summer that the Albion hotshot had no interest in playing Championship football, despite his love for the club. The manager, Valerian Ismael, accused the Brazilian of "not being committed" to West Brom. The latter later dismissed these claims, branding them as "disrespectful." This ultimately put a dampener on what was an incredibly successful relationship between the club and the player.

Pereira made the move away from the Hawthorns in 2021, joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, for a fee believed to be somewhere between £25m-£30m. This fee paid by the Saudi club dwarfed the reported £8.25m the Baggies paid for the attacker just a year earlier. Ultimately, the bittersweet ending didn't take away from what was an incredible piece of business by the Baggies.

Pereira helped West Brom return to the Premier League, whilst contributing massively in both of his seasons and earning Albion a tidy profit in the process. This was all thanks to the buy-out clause put in place, as what could've been a big risk paid off.