Sometimes we cover rumours from the Portuguese press which sound like nonsense. But there are some stories that continue to gain some credibility, especially for the way how things develop.
Back in the January transfer market, Leicester City were said to be interested in Benfica right-back André Almeida. The Foxes’ bid apparently wasn’t enough to take the player from Portugal, and since the window closed, things cooled down a little bit.
But what has been happening since has been quite interesting. Leicester scouts continue to be spotted at the Estádio da Luz over the past few months, and it happened again on Sunday.
As reported by newspaper O Jogo, club officials have watched Benfica playing Porto, and had their eyes on André Almeida’s performance.
As Almeida had the job to stop Yacine Brahimi, one of the most skilful players in the league, the defensive job was the most important task for him, and he did it pretty well. In the second half, the right-back even participated in more attacking plays, but still not enough to help Benfica find a goal.The Eagles lost the game 1-0, leaving Porto on top of the league table with four fixtures to go.
Even though O Jogo doesn’t give it a mention, we must recall that Ricardo Pereira was also on the pitch. As we could report last week, the player has received an approach from Leicester recently.
The Porto right-back had an great performance, not only for stopping Pizzi, but also creating several plays, which is his strongest feature. He was much praised by the local press, with his display being pointed out as a reason why he should go to the World Cup with the Portuguese national team.
With the two targets involved, the game presented itself as a showcase in Leicester City’s chase for a right-back. And if the two players were to be compared, Ricardo has certainly shown he’s a better target. But more expensive as well.
