A lot of supporters will be surprised to learn that Andreas Pereira is still a Manchester United player.
The midfielder has not featured for the club since June 2020 having since been loaned out to Lazio and Brazilian club Flamengo. He was on the verge of joining the South American side permanently in February after United agreed a £8.5m fee.
But Flamengo’s board stalled the move over performance concerns after his mistake in November’s Copa Libertadores final defeat. The 26-year-old remains on loan there having joined in August, and scored his first goal of the season for them on Sunday.
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Now, the club are hopeful that a deal with United can still go through, with the transfer deadline of July 30 approaching. Most fans want him off their club's books after underwhelming outings since breaking through from the academy.
However, football director John Murtough told Pereira that he might be a part of Erik ten Hag’s plans once he gets his feet under the desk at Old Trafford. The likelihood of this is not certain but it’s fair to say hardly anyone expects him to be a United player next term, especially with just 12 months left on his contract.
If there is a shock U-turn, then Pereira will only feature as a bit-part for Ten Hag. With other midfielders leaving this summer, it seems as though the Dutch coach is understandably searching outward for recruits rather than looking internally.
The likes of Ruben Neves, Frenkie de Jong and Kalvin Phillips have been linked with a switch. It paints a bleak picture for Pereira, especially when you factor in the talent arising from the academy, such as James Garner and Hannibal Mejbri.
If he does stay on, the playmaker will be there to fill up the numbers in midfield and only feature in League Cup games and the odd substitute appearance - something the player is unlikely to warm to. He would, in all fairness, be an ample back-up if United suffer a wave of midfield injuries, but he would not offer much more.
In fact, keeping him on may not please supporters. They are justifiably adamant that United look forward and do not glance back at the past few years, of which Pereira played a role during his 75 outings.
And a lot has changed Murtough contacted Pereira in April. Ten Hag has been able to witness the United disharmony first-hand when he watched them lose 1-0 to Crystal Palace on the final day of the season.
He now understands the size of the task at hand and the last thing he wishes to do is upset the fanbase. Pereira could be an unexpected - and costless - wildcard, but he must decide whether it’s worth retaining an outcast or moving him on and freeing up the wage budget for other signings.
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