West Bromwich Albion will be determined to make the perfect start to the 2021/22 Championship campaign by sealing victory in their opening day clash against AFC Bournemouth on August 6th.
The Baggies have been gearing up for this particular fixture by taking part in several pre-season friendlies.
Set to face fellow second-tier side Birmingham City on Saturday, West Brom will be able to use this particular test to see how much work they need to do in training ahead of their showdown with Bournemouth.
Tasked with transforming the club's fortunes following an incredibly disappointing season in the top-flight, Valerien Ismael has also bolstered his squad by sealing deals for Alex Mowatt and Matt Clarke.
However, before the West Brom manager drafts in some more fresh faces, he may have to wave goodbye to one of the club's key players if recent reports are anything to go by.
According to ESPN journalist Joao Castelo-Branco, Al Hilal have submitted a bid believed to be in the region of €15m (£12.7m) for Baggies attacking midfielder Matheus Pereira.
It is understood that whilst the Brazilian would like to move to a Premier League side this summer, he is now considering this offer due to the salary that the Saudi Arabian side will be able to provide him.
In a separate report by journalist Ekrem Konur, it has been suggested that West Ham United have also tabled a €15m bid but are unlikely to convince West Brom to sell him for this price due to the fact that the Championship side are believed to be holding out for a €25m (£21.2m) fee.
Ismael recently revealed that he expects that Pereira, who has not featured in any of the club's pre-season games, will leave The Hawthorns during the current transfer window.
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When you consider that Pereira managed to set the Premier League alight at times last season, it is hardly a surprise that he is being heavily linked with a permanent move away from West Brom.
As well as providing 17 direct goal contributions in 33 league appearances, the Baggies star also averaged the joint-best WhoScored match rating at the club (6.96).
With Al Hilal determined to seal a deal for Pereira, it will be intriguing to see whether they are able to fend off competition from the likes of West Ham and Leicester City who are both reportedly interested in a swoop.
For West Brom's sake, they will be hoping that this particular transfer saga will be resolved relatively quickly as Ismael could use the money generated from Pereira's sale to reinvest in his squad.
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