Manchester United will listen to bids of £20million for midfielder Fred amid interest from Fulham.
The combative Brazilian midfielder has spent the past five seasons at Old Trafford, making 213 first-team appearances and netting 14 goals in the process. Fred joined following a big-money switch from Shakhtar Donetsk but has only won an EFL Cup during his time at the club.
Former United captain Roy Keane has been critical of Fred in the past and the 30-year-old has also frustrated boss Erik ten Hag at times this campaign. With last summer’s arrivals of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, Fred’s starting time became less prominent under the Dutch boss.
Now it appears that the Brazilian may be moved on as part of United’s ongoing squad renovation. Fulham hold an interest in the player, as per the Telegraph, with United keen to raise a transfer fee and trim down their wage bill ahead of planned arrivals.
“I’ll talk to my staff, to the club and see what is everyone’s decision,” Fred said after the FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City earlier this month when quizzed on his future.
“I do have to talk with Ten Hag as well, he’s the manager and the conversation has to involve everyone. We have to see how next season will plan out. I want to be important, I want to help the team, so we’ll see. But I’ve always been and still am very happy at Manchester United."
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Fred has been on the receiving end of no shortage of criticism throughout his United career due to his transfer price tag, prominence in the team and the club’s relative lack of success – securing just one domestic cup trophy in that timeframe.
Speaking on Sky Sports in 2021, former midfielder Keane explained: "I think if you want to play for a big team in midfield, you've got to hang your hat on something to say well, ‘you're brilliant at going forward, or brilliant defensively or he's got a goal in him’. I don't see any of them in Fred."
Ten Hag had appeared to get the best out of Fred, with his goal return of six this year across all competitions making up over 40 per cent of his entire tally over the course of five years with the boss often supportive publicly of Fred.
Speaking to United’s website earlier this year, the Dutchman said: “We emphasise a lot of times that we’ve often had players who score goals when they come on from the bench like Fred did last week.
“Every time when he’s coming on, he’s ready. He’s front foot and he brings the right quality to the game. That is great to have that as a team and as a manager.” However, Ten Hag's position appears to have now changed and he is willing to oversee the Brazilian's exit.
Alongside Casemiro and Eriksen, United also have Scott McTominay as a midfield option with Marcel Sabitzer’s loan deal expiring this summer. Signing at least one new midfielder is likely to be a transfer priority for Ten Hag this year.
