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Tottenham should rush to meet this underrated defender’s release clause

By Rucker Haringey

MARINHA GRANDE, PORTUGAL - MARCH 26: Portugal's defender Ricardo Pereira with Denmark's forward Emil Berggreen during the U21 International Friendly between Portugal and Denmark on March 26, 2015 in Marinha Grande, Portugal. (Photo by Gulater Fatia/Getty Images)
MARINHA GRANDE, PORTUGAL - MARCH 26: Portugal's defender Ricardo Pereira with Denmark's forward Emil Berggreen during the U21 International Friendly between Portugal and Denmark on March 26, 2015 in Marinha Grande, Portugal. (Photo by Gulater Fatia/Getty Images) /
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Ricardo Pereira could be an upgrade for Tottenham

Tottenham may be powerless to keep hold of Kyle Walker this summer, but that doesn’t mean the club are helpless. Instead, by signing Ricardo Pereira, Mauricio Pochettino’s club could actually be purchasing an upgrade over England’s first choice right back.

Portuguese reports from Sabado claim that Tottenham are poised to meet Porto’s £25 million release clause for the 23-year-old defender. Pereira has been at Nice on loan for the past two seasons and has developed into an exceptional player. He was Nice’s highest rated statistical player per Whoscored.com with a player rating of 7.36 in 24 Ligue One appearances.

It would be inaccurate to describe Pereira as a traditional right back. In fact, Nice have made use of the young Portuguese ace all over the pitch. He started nine matches at right back for the French club, but also started seven matches as a defensive midfielder and another seven as a right-sided attacker. His versatility could prove to be a massive plus for Pochettino’s efforts at Tottenham.

Despite his playing time further up the pitch, he does perform better as a defender. When he was lined up at either fullback or in the defensive midfield for Nice last season he was one of the league’s best players. His sparkling player rating of 8.06 in his defensive midfield starts is a particularly eye-catching statistic.

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Given Pereira’s spectacular play, you may be wondering why Porto are willing to part with him for such a modest transfer fee. The answer is twofold. First off, Pereira has a release clause in his current contract. Tottenham know exactly what price they need to pay to make sure they’re successful in this transfer endeavor.

Even without the release clause, Porto are desperate to balance their finances. That’s precisely why Pereira has spent the last two seasons away on loan. The Portuguese giants were willing to let him play elsewhere just to be rid of his salary.

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There are quite a few names floating around North London as replacements for Kyle Walker. but few would be as effective as Spurs for Ricardo Pereira. Tottenham should rush to meet his release clause before another club beat them to the quality signing.

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