Matheus Pereira: Do West Brom stick or twist with their star man?

Will Sam Allardyce remain in charge? Does he even want to entertain 46 (and potentially more) games over what's sure to be a manic nine month period? Can Albion expect to bounce back - as we've seen on occasions prior?

But the future of one player is one of the biggest questions being asked by fans. How does the club handle Matheus Pereira and the top flight vultures desperate to pluck the Brazilian star from the bones of Albion's relegation?

Do Albion stick? Or do they twist?

It's far from a cut and dry answer for anyone at the club or in the fanbase to answer, such is the case for any player in a side facing a drop in the footballing pyramid.

Sure, Albion could cash in, but at what price? The cost isn't merely one which affects the bank accounts in the Black Country, it also hits the quality of football on the pitch.

In 31 appearances, Pereira has notched 10 goals this season, along with five assists - the stats speak for themselves, but the performances speak a thousand words too.

You need only look at his latest appearance for the Baggies, during their 3-1 defeat at Arsenal, in which relegation was confirmed. Pereira stood up to fight a battle which most knew couldn't be won, in fact he shone once again as he dazzled on a stage he's clearly become more than comfortable upon.

When no other Albion player truly looked like scoring, the 25-year-old took the reins and decided to do everything himself, driving forward from inside his own half, dragging his team up the pitch before unleashing a stunning strike off the post and into the back of Bernd Leno's net.

It was a type of goal seldom seen from a team in the bottom three, and enough to get Sam Allardyce smiling despite his side's doomed position.

For many supporters, that goal, whilst being something to behold, was probably seen as a few million extra quid being thrown on top of what should already be a costly price tag. Many are already accepting of the fact that he likely won't be at The Hawthorns next season, and why shouldn't they be?

Frankly, Matheus Pereira is a Premier League player, and a bloody good one at that. There's no doubt his performances will have drawn lustful gazes from clubs in need of more attacking flair and end product next season - in reality, it could be argued that he'd walk into a dozen top flight sides' squads, that's just how good he is.

£30m? £35m? £40m? How much is the Brazilian worth? Most importantly, how much is he worth to Albion? That's the price sides will need to pay the Baggies to secure his services - unless there's a relegation release clause tucked away in the small print of his contract, which is a lengthy one.

West Brom have been stung by dwindling contracts before, but they've protected themselves well in regards to Pereira and his future.

The forward is tied down until 2024, that's a full three years from this summer - and it puts the Baggies into a strong position which isn't one they've found themselves in too often.

In no way are Albion in a position in which they can fear the Brazilian wonder walking out of the door for next to nothing. They hold the majority of the cards, and it's likely to benefit them either on the negotiating table or on the pitch.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected us all, and the business of football is not immune. We all witnessed one of the most quiet summer transfer windows in recent history last year, and January was one in which cash was scarcely exchanged. Many clubs simply cannot afford to splash out huge fees when money coming in has dropped.

This could of course work with and against Albion. A rebuild of sorts is certainly needed, and for that the Baggies need cash. But in comparison to their Championship counterparts next season, they'll be in a better position than most.

Premier League parachute payments, so vital in any side's attempts to bounce back, will be in place. Whilst Sam Johnstone, who has shone as bright as Pereira this season, will almost certainly depart with only a year remaining on his current deal. But will Albion need more financial clout to address their problems? Does Pereira NEED to be sold to fund that? Only the club know that.

£30m would go a long way in helping to put together a team capable of an immediate promotion assault, especially given that the Baggies' midfield this season is built on sand. Okay Yokuslu, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallagher are all loanees with ambitions which reach further afield than the second tier, odds on any of them being a realistic target over the summer are long to say the least.

Can Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers be welcomed back in the Championship? It's a question for the players as much as it is for the club.

An out and out striker will be a priority position too, and they don't come cheap.

Ultimately, signings are needed - and it's a more than plausible scenario that Pereira could be cashed in upon to fund said transfers. Add to that a sizeable collection of fellow wingers and forwards much less likely to be wanted at a good price, and it's clear to see that Allardyce's side are incredibly well stocked in such positions.

Callum Robinson, Grady Diangana, Robert Snodgrass, Matt Phillips and Karlan Grant all remain at the club. Whilst the future of youngster Kyle Edwards is also to be decided. Kamil Grosicki looks likely to depart, but for now he's on the club's books too, albeit with his contract running down this summer.

Simply put, that's a lot of forward thinking players, and whilst Pereira is clearly the stand-out talent amongst them, the club won't be down to the bare bones without him.

But what if a club aren't willing to meet Albion's asking price? Or what if they decide they want the Brazilian to shine once more in the Championship and help them back up? It's a big ask, but there are cast-iron examples to work off in recent seasons.

Albion only need to look down the road to Aston Villa to see a reason to hold onto their star asset. Jack Grealish could've departed B6 for pastures new, admittedly in very different circumstances on and off the pitch, but he was fought for tooth and nail by their owners - he's now one of the brightest stars in the Premier League, worth far more than he was when Villa were battling in the Championship. That move, or lack of one, seems to have come good for everyone involved.

Ismaila Sarr went down with Watford, but no club seemed willing to meet the Hornets' asking price and he's played a key role in getting the club promoted. The same goes for Emiliano Buendia and Todd Cantwell at Norwich. There are cases to see why keeping valued assets can benefit the club more in the long run than it can in the short-term via financial gain of a transfer fee.

It's something Albion must consider.

Sure, £30m or £40m might seem great right now, but if they have funds for a solid promotion push without his exit, maybe the £170m that can be secured via Championship promotion is a bigger carrot worth drooling over instead?

It's already paid off for the likes of Norwich and Watford, and did so too for Villa - who now look a legitimate top half contender having built around their star man. Should that not be the aim for West Bromwich Albion?

The only question then lies with Pereira himself, how would he react to such a decision?

He's only 25, so has plenty of football left in him and isn't even at an age in which you'd expect him to have peaked. But like the aforementioned loanees, he'll undoubtedly see himself as a Premier League player, he's done more than enough to prove that several times over.

His attitude, previously questioned at other clubs, has been exemplary at The Hawthorns. He clearly has an affinity to the fan base and is comfortable being the main man at the club. But does he feel like he can afford another year outside of the Premier League?

Many fans and those at the club likely feel that he's paid his dues, but he's the man who committed his future to the club - it's a tricky situation for him to navigate if he does indeed want to remain a top flight player.

Football, like it or not, is a business, and if Albion are in the business of getting promoted then there are few players of Pereira's quality able to assist in such a task. They have the right to hold him to his contract. The question is simply how the player would react to such a decision.

There are positives and negatives to each outcome. Albion are at the blackjack table, and their relegation cards have been dealt. Soon they'll need to make up their mind - do they stick or twist?