Terms Agreed For Ricardo Pereira Transfer

- Leicester City agree the transfer of Ricardo Pereira from FC Porto
- Portugal international signs five-year contract, subject to international clearance
- The 24-year-old defender is set to feature for Portugal at this summer’s World Cup
- Pereira describes the Premier League as the ‘best in the world’ ahead of his arrival

Ricardo, 24, arrived in Leicester on Saturday to finalise personal terms on a five-year contract and complete a medical.

His move to City will be complete when international transfer clearance is received on 9 June.

He will report for international duty this week, having been named alongside Adrien Silva in Portugal’s 23-man squad for this summer’s World Cup in Russia.

The 24-year-old right-back, who can also operate as a winger, made 43 appearances for Porto in all competitions this season, including seven in the UEFA Champions League, and helped the side to their 28th Portuguese league title this month.

Capped by Portugal for the first time in 2015, the speedy defender is strong both defensively and offensively, and has built an impressive reputation in Europe for his performances in recent seasons.

Speaking to LCFC TV, Ricardo said: “I feel very happy to be here and I can’t wait to do my best to help the team. The atmosphere, the fans and the football of the Premier League makes it the best in the world. I am here to support the team and to help the Club to achieve its goals.”

Leicester City Manager Claude Puel said: “I’m delighted to have a player of Ricardo’s quality on board for next season. I remember him well from my time at Nice.”

Born in Lisbon, Ricardo’s football career began at Futebol Benfica in 2001, before his promising displays saw him move to Sporting CP and then Vitória Guimarães in 2011.

It was in Guimarães that his senior career began, making his first-team debut in the Primeira Liga in April 2012.

He won the Portuguese Cup with the Minho Province side in 2012/13, scoring six goals in as many games, including the winner in the Cup Final.

Ricardo signed for Porto a year later and continued his development on loan with Nice for two seasons in Ligue 1 from 2015, during which time Claude Puel was managing the French side.

He made 50 league appearances for Nice, scoring two goals, and featured for them in the UEFA Europa League five times.

The Portuguese international won 35 caps for his country at youth level, scoring 12 goals, and received his first senior call-up in 2015.

Upon the conclusion of Portugal’s involvement in the World Cup, Ricardo will report with his new Leicester City team-mates to begin preparations for the 2018/19 Premier League season.