Leicester City have made a deal for Gil Vicente centre-back Gabriel Pereira a priority, according to Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb.
Leicester City are heading for the Premier League after overcoming a blip in form to win the Championship title with games to spare.
The Foxes might have lost to Blackburn Rovers on the final day but Enzo Maresca’s side had already wrapped up the league win, with Ipswich Town following them to the top-flight in 2nd.
An important summer awaits those at the King Power Stadium. The desire will be to strengthen where possible but with PSR problems rumbling on, costs will have to be kept down and key assets will be sold.
Now though, rumours of a key summer target have emerged in reports from overseas.
Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb states that Leicester City have made centre-back Gabriel Pereira of Portuguese side Gil Vicente a priority transfer target.
The Foxes aren’t the only ones keen though. While Serie A side Udinese are admirers, Portuguese teams Benfica and Braga are also keen alongside Lyon of France.
More on Pereira…
Pereira is a 24-year-old Brazilian centre-back who can also operate as a defensive midfielder if needs be.
He started out his career in his native Brazil before first moving to Portuguese side Vilafranquense on loan. They signed him permanently and half-a-season later, top-flight side Gil Vicente snapped him up.
There, Pereira has become an influential player and a mainstay in the starting XI.
A move to Leicester City would make for a new challenge for Pereira. A move to the Premier League would cap off a steep rise to the top too, having only stepped up to the top flight of Portuguese football less than 18 months ago.
Leicester City’s centre-back options
It seems likely that Leicester City will be in the market for another centre-back this summer.
Jannik Vestergaard’s contract is expiring and it remains to be seen if he’ll pen new terms. Callum Doyle – although mainly played at left-back – is returning to Manchester City.
That leaves Wout Faes, Conor Coady and Harry Souttar, and the latter two have barely been used by Maresca this season.
As a result, it feels unlikely that they’ll become regulars upon a step to a higher level, potentially opening the door for a new signing like Pereira to come in and take a spot in the side.
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