Report: Valencia closing in on Pereira
La Liga outfit Valencia are reportedly close to signing Sporting CP right-back Joao Pereira in a bid to boost their squad ahead of next season.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
According to Record, Los Che are ready to part with €5million to seal the defender's services after new coach Mauricio Pellegrino made bolstering the defence his number one priority.
Valencia finished third in La Liga this season and while they had the third-best attack with 59 goals, behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona, their failure to keep a clean sheet cost them valuable wins several times in the latter half of the campaign.
While Adil Rami and Victor Ruiz are both capable in the heart of defence, and Jeremy Mathieu and Jordi Alba take turns offering a solid avenue down the left, right-back has been a real problem for Valencia, with Bruno Saltor and Antonio Barragan failing to impress.
The fact that Los Che have had to rely on the ageing Miguel countless times goes to show how badly they need a quality option on the right-side of defence, and it appears Pereira has been identified as their top target, after losing interest in Ajax defender Gregory van der Wiel.
The Portugal international, who joined Sporting from Braga for €3m back in 2009, has so far remained coy over his future plans.
"I am not thinking about my future just yet," he said over the weekend. "I want what is best for me and for Sporting."
Pereira has been named in the Portugal squad for Euro 2012, and if Valencia don't move fast, his value might just rise if he puts in a strong performance in Poland and Ukraine.