So far, so good for Leicester City in this transfer window all things considered. Keeping hold of Ricardo Pereira, however, may be just as important as any potential new signing.
The Portuguese right-back spent the majority of last season on the sidelines due to an Achilles tendon rupture. He returned in February, but was hit with another injury in April which ruled him out for four more games.
Unfortunately for Leicester, and Pereira himself, the defender was ultimately rendered unable to help the Foxes as they battled relegation, managing just 11 appearances over the course of the season.
After signing from Porto in 2019, the fan favourite has featured 124 times for the East Midlands outfit. Contributing both defensively and offensively, Pereira has scored nine times and assisted a further 15 during his stay in England so far.
During the 2019/20 season in which Leicester finished fifth and qualified for the Europa League, former manager Brendan Rodgers labelled the Portugal international a ‘brilliant player’ and ‘first class’ right-back, stating that Pereira was up there with the very best in his position.
Fast forward just over three years and the 29-year-old is now a Championship footballer through no fault of his own, but fortunately for Foxes supporters the signs indicate that he may well be staying.
How crucial might Pereira be?
It is unclear what conversations have been held between himself and new boss Enzo Maresca, but a quote from the 2021 FA Cup winner via Leicester’s Twitter account makes it seem apparent that he is not on the move.
“It is always difficult when you have a new manager,” said Pereira.
“They have different ideas, different things they want the team to do… But I am really happy.”
He is a player who is in his peak age, and could easily look to move on in a similar fashion to James Maddison or, although nothing is confirmed yet, Harvey Barnes. However, it looks as though Pereira is ready for the challenge of returning to the top flight at the first time of asking.
Should the Foxes retain his services and the right-back steer clear of injuries, he will no doubt have a huge part to play in how next season plans out.