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Manchester United are reportedly on the brink of signing FC Shakhtar Donetsk midfield maestro Fred, for a reported sum of £53 million.
The Brazilian was strongly linked with the current Premier League Champions Manchester City, during the January transfer window. However, the Pep Guardiola-managed City cooled down their interest and are said to have moved on to Napoli’s Jorginho.
Jose Mourinho's Manchester United experienced a lackluster 2017-18 season, despite finishing second in the league and getting to the final of the FA Cup.
Such is the nature of Mourinho’s reputation, that he is expected to bring trophies every season and his club demands no less.
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After a season, mostly termed as a ‘failure’, the Portuguese is expected to go all out during the summer transfer window to strengthen the squad.
So what would Fred bring to this Manchester United side?
Apart from his passing ability, Fred would bring a lot of freshness to the current United squad. His ability to find any player across the pitch is quite impressive and the Brazilian is a cool customer when on the ball and does not panic even in the toughest of situations during matches.
He has the calmness to dictate the tempo of the game during pressure situations and his versatility is something to be admired.
Versatility
The 25-year-old can play any role in the central of the midfield, be it the role of a destroyer, the role of the dictator or a box-to-box powerhouse. Fred has proved that he could be a heartbeat of any team in this world and that is what Jose Mourinho wants him to be at Manchester United in the upcoming season.
His arrival will ease the pressure on Paul Pogba, who had a decent season till he was dropped for the academy prodigy Scott McTominay. The French star could breathe a sigh of relief by knowing that an extra man is there in midfield when he goes bombing up the pitch during games.
Fred’s addition would let Nemanja Matic get to the next level. The Serb has enjoyed a fabulous season since moving to Manchester United from Chelsea.
The former Inter Milan man can easily play as the No. 6 in Mourinho’s 4-3-3 system with Matic and Pogba taking the attacking responsibilities with the Brazilian taking care of the dirty work, similar to what his Brazilian counterpart Fernandinho provides to the blue side of Manchester.
If Mourinho decides to shift to 4-2-3-1, which is highly unlikely, the Atletico Mineiro youth product would provide an extra layer of solidity alongside Nemanja Matic or Paul Pogba.
The Shakhtar man has the ability to score screamers and has done so for a number of times for the Ukranian side and his previous club Inter Milan. Fred is pretty quick and that would definitely prove handy for Manchester United in the fast-paced Premier League.
Brazilian Flavour
Manchester United lack 'Brazilian flavor' in their team and Fred would definitely bring that alongside his determined and gritty nature to win matches on the pitch.
The Brazilian international would be the ultimate puzzle that the Manchester United jigsaw is missing and with no more Michael Carrick in the team, Fred could be the silent predator of this Manchester United squad for years to come.
