Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira this summer, in a deal which could be Todd Boehly's worst transfer swoop since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Could Chelsea sign Andreas Pereira?
According to ESPN, the Blues are looking at signing the Brazilian should Mason Mount depart Stamford Bridge this summer, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City all eyeing the England international amid his contract dispute with Chelsea.
The report claims that PSG and Atletico Madrid are also keen on the Fulham maestro, who has impressed since his switch from Manchester United last summer, with the Cottagers valuing him at around £35m.
Although the 27-year-old has been a mainstay in Marco Silva's side this season as they eye a top-half Premier League finish, his previous displays at Old Trafford suggest that Chelsea should steer well clear of Pereira, as he managed just four goals and five assists in 75 appearances for the Red Devils.
Chelsea's worst signing since Aubameyang?
The Belgian-born midfielder boasts two goals and six assists in 27 top-flight appearances so far this term, but his WhoScored average rating of 6.73 suggests that his overall displays have been far less impressive than his goal contributions would suggest.
Pereira's FBref scouting report also tells a different story, as he ranks in the worst possible percentile for non-penalty goals when compared to other attacking midfielders across Europe, while he also scores in the worst 10% for pass completion, progressive carries and progressive passes received.
If Chelsea are looking for a creative midfielder to replace Mount, then they should avoid Pereira, whose shocking 72.1% pass success rate is the 20th-best in Fulham's squad.
He has seemingly continued that trend from his time at Manchester United, with journalist Josh Bunting suggesting that his all-round game was "poor" after a "woeful" display against Aston Villa in 2019.
Considering Graham Potter already has top-quality midfielders such as Mateo Kovacic, Enzo Fernandez and N'Golo Kante at his disposal, a move for Pereira seems rather pointless, as it would also see Boehly differ from his transfer plans of signing some of the most exciting young talents in world football.
The Chelsea chairman also veered away from that when the Blues were desperate for a striker ahead of the summer transfer deadline, with 33-year-old former Arsenal star Aubameyang arriving from Barcelona.
He has endured a shocking stay at Stamford Bridge, registering one goal in 12 Premier League appearances and averaging a dreadful 6.15 average rating from WhoScored for his performances, which saw Potter go as far as to exclude him from his Champions League squad for the knockout stages.
At least the Gabon international had some top-flight pedigree when he arrived last summer, whereas Chelsea would be signing Pereira off the back of one half-decent Premier League season, and several poor ones with Manchester United.
Therefore, Boehly must steer clear of the Fulham man this summer, or risk paying over the odds for another bench warmer, as he did with Aubameyang.