The Express and Star are reporting that negotiations between West Bromwich Albion and Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon over the loan deal of Brazilian winger Matheus Pereira.
The impasse in talks comes as West Brom want an option to buy at the end of the season, whereas Sporting want an obligation to buy, meaning a guaranteed sale.
The £9m fee that the Portuguese side are demanding would be an incredibly expensive outlay should The Baggies fail to be promoted back to the Premier League next season, as parachute payments would be reduced.
The 23-year-old spent last season on loan at German side FC Nurnberg as they were relegated to the second tier of German football. During his time in Germany he scored three goals and registered two assists in 19 games for Der Rumreiche.
He has previously been compared to Mohamed Salah in his style of play, being strong in possession, a fine dribbler as well as excelling at interplay with teammates.
Many West Brom fans are calling for urgency from the club to sign the player, while some Baggies fans can understand why the club do not want to be forced to pay £9m should the player flop in England.
Here is the best of the reaction.
Bit of detail about why the Matheus Pereira loan has stalled (for now). Sporting want to tie #wba down to paying £9m for him next summer. Albion want an option, not an obligation. Talks ongoing https://t.co/8zY9GMRjs6
— Matt Wilson (@mattwilson_star) July 22, 2019
If we can get a £9m for promotion and £4.5m for non-promotion then I’d go for it. But not £9m regardless.
— Bomber’s Boots (@BombersBoots) July 22, 2019
So it should be an option. No point in paying £9mill for a new Blanco or Varela.
— Luke Pollard (@LukeyP_wba) July 22, 2019
This from a club that paid £15m for Oliver Burke…just sign the damn player already.
— Stephen J Nelson (@stephenjnelson) July 22, 2019
Hopefully a deal can be done. I like to think however that if the player has been scouted and approved, perhaps we could simply buy him now? We’ve barely started spending the money received for Dawson, Rodriguez and Rondon as yet.
— Dan Nash (@DanNash86) July 22, 2019
Tbf I’d rather an option than an obligation. Especially if he turns out to be a flop this season
— John (@Johntur01) July 22, 2019
pay it, we need all the help we can get ayit
— Liam ➐ (@Iiamwba) July 22, 2019
If billic rates and wants the lad a deal needs to be done
— Phil Merrix (@PMerrix) July 22, 2019
The risk if if we don’t go up and have to fork out £9m when we’ll need to be cutting costs.
I expect that’s the main reason we want the option: get promoted = sign him (unless he’s rubbish), don’t get promoted = send him back as we can’t afford him.
— Alex Woolgar (@AlexWoolgar29) July 22, 2019