Following an extremely disappointing 2020/21 campaign which culminated in relegation from the top-flight earlier this year, West Bromwich Albion have dusted themselves down and are now preparing for life in the Championship.

Tasked with guiding his side to an immediate return to the Premier League in 2022, Baggies manager Valerien Ismael will be looking to bolster his chances of achieving this goal by nailing his transfer recruitment in the coming weeks.

However, the scale of the club's success may depend upon whether they are able to keep Matheus Pereira at The Hawthorns as the Brazilian has become a talisman in recent years.

Ismael recently admitted that he expects the attacking midfielder to leave this summer due to the impressive nature of his displays last season.

A stand-out performer in the Premier League for the Baggies, Pereira managed to find the back of the net on 11 occasions whilst he also chipped in with six assists for his team-mates in 33 league appearances.

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Blessed with an abundance of talent, the 25-year-old has now become the subject of a considerable amount of interest from Al Hilal.

According to journalist Ekrem Konur, the Saudi Arabian club have reportedly submitted an initial offer of €7m (£5.9m) for Pereira as they look to secure his services.

Considering that the attacking midfielder's current contract with West Brom is not set to expire until 2024, Ismael's side will be looking to seal a major fee for a player who has proven his worth in the top-flight.

For Al Hilal's sake, they'll be hoping to reach a breakthrough in regards to their negotiations with the Baggies as they look to defend their Saudi Professional League title next season.

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

If this report turns out to be true, it could be argued that West Brom ought to reject this approach as Pereira is unquestionably worth more than the offer which has been tabled by Al Hilal.

Furthermore, when you consider that the Baggies paid a fee believed to be in the region of £8.25m to secure the services of the attacking midfielder on a permanent basis, they will not want to make a loss on him.

With the likes of Leicester City and RB Leipzig emerging as potential suitors earlier this year, West Brom could spark a bidding war between clubs which may culminate in them receiving a major offer.

By using the money generated from Pereira's departure to reinvest in his squad, Ismael could potentially guide the club to a positive start to the 2021/22 campaign.

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