Manchester United have already had a taste of Erik Ten Hag’s wrath in terms of the changes that he could make to the squad this summer, after reports emerged that the defensive duo of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Eric Bailly are not in the Dutchman’s plans.
One other player who we feel should not be a part of the 52-year-old’s plans for the Red Devils moving forward is Fred.
Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk four years ago in a deal worth a reported £52m, the £120k-per-week Brazilian has failed to repay that hefty price tag.
With 157 appearances under his belt for the Red Devils across all competitions, the 29-year-old has only netted eight goals and delivered just 13 assists in the process.
Just over a year after he made the move to Old Trafford, the midfielder was questioned by Gary Neville over what sort of player he is, what he offers the team and why the club’s decided to pay such a big fee for him.
In fact, in a poll ran by Football FanCast, 92% of participants claimed that United paid too much money for the midfielder.
Now that Fred’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023, the upcoming transfer window could be the ideal time for United to cash in on the Brazil international and give Ten Hag the chance to totally refresh the midfield.
In terms of who the Red Devils could look to as a replacement for the 29-year-old misfit, one player with whom they have been linked recently and who could fit the bill is Wolves star Ruben Neves.
Having made 212 appearances for the Midlands club, the 25-year-old has scored 24 goals and delivered 12 assists along the way. With 142 Premier League games under his belt, Neves could be an ideal younger replacement for Fred with plenty of top-flight experience to his name as well.
Labelled a “maestro” by Tim Spiers, the journalist also described one of the Portugal midfielder’s goals in 2018 as “stunning.”
Would you like to see United sign Neves this summer?
To compare the duo’s most recent league campaign with their respective clubs, Neves recorded more passes, shots, dribbles and crosses than the Brazilian, showing how impressive the Wolves midfielder is on the ball.
Off the ball, the Portugal international made more interceptions, won more tackles and made more successful pressures than Fred (FBRef), highlighting his all-round strengths and attributes in midfield.
With a reported price tag of £50m, signing Neves and getting rid of Fred could be the move which gets Ten Hag’s period in charge of United off to a flying start.
In other news: MUFC eyeing £50m dynamo who’s “a nightmare for defenders”, he’s better than Rashford
