Manchester United star Fred could be loaned out this summer after a disappointing debut campaign. We take a look at 3 potential destinations for the Brazilian.
There was a lot of optimism surrounding Manchester United’s signing of Fred last summer. The 26-year-old arrived from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth £52 million, with the Red Devils reported to have beaten neighbours Manchester City to his capture.
However, the transfer failed to yield the desired results as the Brazilian international struggled to nail down a starting berth under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Fred ended his debut campaign with the English giants with a goal and an assist from 25 matches in all competitions, only 13 of which were starts in the Premier League.
There were brief glimpses of his best, but they came too few and far between leading to questions over his imminent future at Manchester United. Despite suggestions that Fred is a part of the plans for the coming season, rumours of a potential loan persist, with reports claiming that the Red Devils might look to offload him temporarily in hope that he rediscovers his best form.
And here we take a look at three potential destinations for the Brazilian midfielder.
Galatasaray
The team that has been strongly linked with a loan move for Fred this summer, Turkish champions Galatasaray could very well end up being the Brazilian midfielder’s next destination. The Super Lig giants have recently recruited Jean Michael Seri on loan from Fulham recently, but could use another addition to their midfield.
Captain Selcuk Inan is 34 and his partner in Galatasaray’s double midfield pivot, Ryan Donk is just a year younger. Apart from the two and the recently arrived Seri, they seem to lack quality depth in the central midfield department, which would be addressed by the signing of Fred from Manchester United.
The Brazilian too would stand to benefit from a loan move to the Turkish champions as he will likely be involved on a more regular basis than at Manchester United, while he would also get to play Champions League football, something that is not on offer at Old Trafford this season.
AS Roma
Having missed out on Champions League football, AS Roma are looking to climb back towards the top three, where they have finished regularly in recent seasons. To that end, they have brought in Paulo Fonseca as their new manager, who tasted immense success during his time at Shakhtar Donetsk.
And Fonseca’s appointment could lead to Fred also moving to the Italian capital, as it was under him that the Brazilian flourished at Shakhtar. The 26-year-old was a constant presence under Fonseca at Shakhtar between 2016 and 2018 and enjoyed a great deal of success with the Portuguese tactician.
Roma have options in their midfield, with the likes of Lorenzo Pellegrini, Bryan Cristante along with new signings Amadou Diawara and Jordan Veretout. However, the fact that Daniele de Rossi has left and Steven Nzonzi’s future is mired in uncertainty could mean the Giallorossi could do with another option in midfield.
A reunion with a manager who has worked with him in the past and trusts him could do a world of good for Fred and his confidence, making Roma a potential destination for the midfielder.
Getafe
Probably a left-field choice, but joining La Liga outfit Getafe could prove to be a smart move for Fred as he looks to regain his confidence and prove himself worthy of a place in the Manchester United side in the future.
Getafe are short-handed in the midfield department, having seen Gaku Shibasaki and Mathieu Flamini depart upon the expiry of their contracts. This has left them with regulars Nemanja Maksimovic and Mauro Arambarri as the only options, along with the 33-year-old Markel Bergara, who featured just three times last season.
Having finished fifth in La Liga last time out, Pepe Bordalas’ side will be playing in the Europa League next season and could offer Fred a good platform to showcase his abilities, while also offering him European football. And given the lack of quality options at the team’s disposal, the Brazilian would stand to feature regularly as well, making it an attractive possibility.
