Why West Ham should make a move for Danilo Pereira in January
Back in August 2017, Football.London had claimed that West Ham were interested in signing FC Porto midfielder Danilo Pereira. However, a move didn’t materialize then.
Born in Guinea-Bissau, the 28-year-old has been a key figure in the Porto first team since he moved to the Liga NOS outfit from Maritimo in 2015. He has made 12 appearances so far this season, with Porto second in the Liga NOS table.
With Danilo Pereira performing consistently for Porto over the last few seasons, the January transfer window would be the right time for West Ham to reignite their interest in the defensive midfielder.
Manuel Pellegrini has overseen the worst run of form in his 18-month tenure over the last few months. Currently placed 16th in the standings, the Hammers have only bagged 19 points in 17 games.
West Ham have no playing identity whatsoever and things are looking really bleak. As per The Guardian, Pellegrini had convinced the club’s owners earlier this week that he is the man to turn things around during crunch talks earlier this week.
Should the next couple of games go in favour of the Hammers and Pellegrini stays at the club, the 66-year-old tactician should look for reinforcements in the January transfer window.
One area Pellegrini should address is the midfield, with the Hammers lacking real substance and stability.
Declan Rice has been one of the shining lights in an otherwise wretched campaign for West Ham but he has lacked a reliable player beside him. Mark Noble is ageing, while the likes of Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez haven’t proven themselves to warrant a starting berth.
In that regard, a move for Danilo makes complete sense for the east Londoners. The Portuguese international is a formidable force in the middle of the park and provides stable cover to the back four.
His presence would allow the flair players such as Felipe Anderson, Pablo Fornals and Andriy Yarmolenko in the team to go forward and create opportunities.
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The 28-year-old is the type of player Pellegrini’s midfield is in dire need of, someone who can be relied upon to do his job properly due to his tenacity and tireless nature.
As per WhoScored.com, Danilo has averaged 1.8 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 0.9 clearances and 0.1 blocks, whilst enjoying a healthy 87.5% passing success rate.
Verdict
With Rice having established himself as a regular starter in the team, West Ham would have their best midfield combination in years if they manage to bring Danilo to the London Stadium next month.