According to multiple reports, Manchester United’s first 2018 summer transfer window signing will be Fred, a Brazilian midfielder currently with Shakhtar Donetsk. Back on May 25, Fred himself confirmed the team had very strong interest in him, and that advanced talks had taken place.
Now the deal is reportedly nearing closure, with claims that Old Trafford’s soon to be newest addition will undergo a medical early this week, and be announced within the next 48 hours.
According to the Manchester Evening News, he could be confirmed as Jose Mourinho’s first summer signing by Tuesday.
Fred’s agent Fabio Melo – who represents him alongside former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva – will hold talks with United on Monday.
The M.E.N. report also claims that the 25-year-old Brazil international will pen “a four-year contract with the option of another 12 months.”
Fred, Melo and company are all in the region currently for Brazil’s 2-0 international friendly victory over Croatia today at Anfield. The World Cup warm-up match being held in the region is providing a lot of convenience towards getting this deal done soon; and well ahead of the tournament in Russia.
Once Fred is in the fold, United can then their attention on obtaining a second midfielder. Targets reportedly include Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti. In regards to the latter, the transfer fee is speculated to be £100m, which makes for a very expensive midfield troika.
If Fred costs £52m, and Verratti £100m, add that to Pogba’s £89, and you have a £241m triad!
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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