Former West Bromwich Albion striker Kevin Phillips believes Matheus Pereira's agent is playing a big part in why Pereira is actively pushing for a move and missing their pre-season friendlies, in an interview with West Brom News.

After scoring 11 goals and recording six assists in the Premier League last season, an impressive total for a man competing in a then-struggling top-flight side, the 25-year-old is angling for a move away from The Hawthorns this summer.

There's no shortage of interest in the Brazilian either, with Premier League trio Leicester City, Leeds United and West Ham United all reported to be interested in a move earlier in the summer and Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig also entering the race.

 

 

However, a €7m offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal is the only bid reported to have been launched for the £30m-rated midfielder so far this summer and Pereira has just over a month to secure his move away.

According to The Athletic, a major reason why the star man was left out of the club's friendlies is because Ismael had not been impressed with him in training, although journalist Chris Lepkowski had stated the player himself took the decision not to participate in these matches.

However, former West Brom forward Kevin Phillips believes another key figure behind the scenes has influenced his behaviour in an interview with West Brom News.

Phillips said: "That (missing the pre-season friendlies) just means he wants out - it’s as simple as that. He’s obviously trying to force a move.

"I said all along I hope it doesn’t get down to that but it’s clear that the player wants to leave the football club.

"Obviously, agents have been doing a lot of work in the background, there must be clubs lined up.

"From my experience, the agent has probably told him to act like this to force a move.

"It’ll just be a matter of time before he moves on, which will be a shame."

The Verdict:

There's a lot of money to be made if you're Matheus Periera's agent this summer, especially with the amount of interest in the 25-year-old since the end of last season.

Although Pereira may have played in the Championship before in his first season with the Baggies, his goalscoring record last season has seemingly convinced him he's ready to move on this summer.

His current contract in the West Midlands may prove to be an obstacle to his potential departure though - because the Baggies will be holding out for a large sum of money knowing his deal doesn't expire until 2024.

Because of this, it will be interesting to see what happens with him - and how awkward it could potentially be for both the player and West Brom in the following months if he's unable to secure a move before the transfer window closes.