Who is Roberto Pereyra? The Watford talisman once dubbed better than Pogba

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It is not often that a Watford midfielder is compared to a player like Manchester United’s all-time record signing, Paul Pogba. But in Roberto Pereyra, the Hornets appear to have a special individual.

When the Argentine became their record signing many fans could be forgiven for being rather sceptical about a player not many may have heard of.

The fee of €13 million would have been a significant outlay in the post-Neymar market, but it is fair to say that the Pozzo family knew what they were getting having previously had the player at Udinese.

The signing did, however, have the kind of prestige that will accompany a deal where one of the parties is a high-status club such as Juventus, and he has since proved to be a shrewd addition. But who is Roberto Pereyra? Read on and find out more…

Roberto Pereyra: the story so far

Hailing from San Miguel de Tucuman in Argentina, Pereyra played his youth football at Buenos Aires giants River Plate. There, he made his debut at the age of 18 and ‘El Tucumano’ would soon be spotted by Italian side Udinese, who have an excellent record at spotting talent.

Players like Alexis Sanchez, Medhi Benatia and Kwadwo Asamoah are all graduates of the Zebrete. During his time at the Friuli outfit, Pereyra became a first-team player in midfield, bagging eight goals in 84 league appearances and attracting the attention of Serie A giants Juventus.

He initially joined the Old Lady on loan with an option to make the move permanent for €14m. After an impressive first season in which Pereyra made 52 appearances in all competitions, more than any other player, Juve took up the option in his contract and brought him to Turin on a permanent basis.

Roberto Pereyra spent two years at Juventus.

 

His second season was less successful leading to Juve accepting a record bid from Watford for the midfielder. Pereyra made the move to Vicarage Road in the summer of 2016 and made an instant impact, scoring in a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

He made such an impression that former Watford boss Walter Mazzarri suggested in 2016 that he would prefer to have the Argentine in his midfielder in his line up than Pogba, who had by that stage just become the most expensive player in the history of Man United.

Mazzarri said: “As a principle, I fall in love with my players. They are very important.

“Roberto Pereyra is a great player, he runs from side to side, has great qualities and was the player I wanted. If I had to choose, I’d pick Pereyra.

“But Pogba is a champion. He is a very young player and this may have an influence on him adopting a little slower after changing team. Everything is new for him at the moment but with one play he can change the result.”

His influence has slowly grown since his arrival in England and as the player has adapted to the pace of the Premier League he has become a key player for Watford.

Pereyra key stats

The Argentine maestro is Watford’s top-scorer this season having scored three times in three games. In fact, no player in the division this season has managed more goals, but Pereyra’s overall contribution extends beyond finishing the chances in the current campaign.

Pereyra has been directly involved in each of Watford’s last seven Premier League goals at Vicarage Road, while also having been their third most-fouled player this season. He is also not afraid to have a shot, taking an average of 2.7 attempts per goal this season.

Is Pereyra now Watford’s most important player?

Obviously, the Argentine has made a great start to the new season but part of the reason he is now so important to the Hornets is the role he fulfils in their system. Watford manager Javi Gracia plays a 4-2-2-2 formation, with Pereyra operating on the left-hand side of the attacking midfielders behind the strikers.

In this role, he is able to use his excellent positional sense and off-the-ball awareness to drift into the half-spaces, often pulling defenders with him and thus creating space for the strikers to exploit behind him.

Where does Roberto Pereyra play for Watford?

Pereyra’s versatility allows him to interchange with the other four players in the Watford midfield and that is key when the Hornets break quickly.

Abdoulaye Doucoure is arguably just as important and after Richarlison’s form declined last season he stepped up and became the key man in the team. However, his role is completely different and in fact complements Pereyra by allowing the Argentine more freedom.

His ability to play as a second striker might come in handy if Watford lose either Troy Deeney or Andre Gray to injury this term but regardless this could well turn out to be the Argentine’s most productive campaign.

The post Who is Roberto Pereyra? The Watford talisman once dubbed better than Pogba appeared first on Squawka News.



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