The form of Andreas Pereira could make Manchester United think twice about their desire to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka and James Garner before the transfer window closes.
United have been focusing on signing players this summer, with Erik ten Hag desperate to strengthen his squad for his debut season in charge. They have brought in Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro so far, with a deal for Ajax forward Antony the priority in the final week.
But football director John Murtough and chief executive Richard Arnold are also charged with getting rid of the deadwood. United still have quite a large squad with several players remaining at their Carrington training ground, despite not being a part of Ten Hag’s plans.
United have managed to offload some players in this category, like Alex Telles and Eric Bailly, who have joined Sevilla and Marseille on loan respectively, but there remains plenty of work to do. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and James Garner appear the most likely players to follow them in the remainder of the window.
Wan-Bissaka has lost his place in the starting line-up to Diogo Dalot and has been linked with former club Crystal Palace, while Garner is strongly linked with Everton, among other Premier League sides, following a successful 18 months on loan with Nottingham Forest. Moving them on may appear a canny move, but the upturn in form of Pereira at Fulham shows how quickly things can turn around.
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The Brazilian midfielder joined Fulham in a £10million deal from United this summer after failing to make an impact at Old Trafford, instead spending time on loan at Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo. Just three games in at Fulham he already looks a different player, with his performance in Fulham’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool on the opening day of the season particularly eye-catching.
"He is a player I wanted to get because he's a player I knew really well," Fulham manager Marco Silva told Sky Sports. "I know his qualities on the ball, off the ball, set pieces, everything. He's a really good player and he was really hungry to have this type of challenge as well, at a club that trusts him and with people around him who trust him and want to get the best from him.
"I think he is a player who has something to prove but has the quality to do it. For me, it is so important when a player has the quality for me to get the best from them. It has been a good start for him but I think there is much more to come. He has the quality to do even more."
Wan-Bissaka joined United in a £50m move from Palace back in 2019 but has quickly fallen out of favour under the new coaching staff. Garner came through the United academy, but despite a brilliant loan spell at Forest and involvement in pre-season is reportedly being pushed towards the exit, with a £14m move to Everton mooted.
United certainly need to thin out their squad so that Ten Hag has a select group to work with, but Pereira’s renaissance shows the difficulty attached to doing so.
