Lech signs Joel Pereira

The Portuguese player passed the medical tests held in the Rehasport clinic and after finalising all the crucial details, he reached an agreement with Lech Poznań and signed a contract with the Polish club that will last until 2025.

Pereira is a homegrown player of FC Porto, however, he made his senior debut wearing the shirt of Vitória Guimarães. He first appeared on the second-division Portuguese pitches back in 2015 and went on play 50 matches, for Vitoria and Académico Viseu FC.

As a 22-year-old, Pereira moved to Cyprus where he competed for Doxa Katokopias and got a total of 30 appearances in the 2018/2019 season. Following the end of the season, he moved to AC Omonia and then joined FC Spartak Trnava (Slovakia) and Gil Vicente (Portugal) on loan. Pereira spent the last season playing for the latter team and appeared in 32 matches in Liga NOS and 4 Portuguese Cup games.

“I am a right-back that does not only play in the defence but also enjoys joining the offensive line. I like playing by the sidelines and sending crosses into the box, and that is what I came here for – to reinforce my teammates in the offence and help the team succeed. However, I also won’t mind if I score a goal or two myself,” said the right-back with a smile on his face.

In the past, Pereira also competed for the Portuguese youth national teams – he appeared in 7 matches for the U-16 squad and in one game for the U-18 side.

“Joel is a very offence-oriented right back who fits our style of play very well. With his skills, he will be a great reinforcement when it comes to playing out from the back,” explained Piotr Rutkowski, Lech’s vice-chairman. “We wanted to strengthen the right side of the defensive line. Rivalry always impacts positively the players – it keeps them on their toes and motivates them to improve and work hard. Now Alan Czerwiński will have to compete for a spot in the starting line-up with Joel. It will be an interesting rivalry and it will surely benefit both players,” added Rutkowski.

“I have heard good things only about Lech. The stadium is brilliant and I know that the fans create an amazing atmosphere. I cannot wait to play in front of a sold-out stadium. The chance to compete for the club in the season when it’s celebrating the 100^th anniversary is a real honour,” emphasised Lech’s latest transfer.