August 10, (THEWILL) – Manchester United midfielder, Fred, is set to leave Old Trafford after agreeing to a deal with Turkish club, Fenerbahce.
The Brazilian international will join the Istanbul-based team after four seasons at United, where he struggled to cement a starting spot. Fenerbahce emerged as frontrunners for Fred’s signature after making an offer of £13 million inclusive of add-ons. The deal comes after United rebuffed interest from other clubs including Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Galatasaray.
Fred was deemed surplus to requirements after United bolstered their midfield with the arrivals of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro. During his time at United, Fred made 56 appearances across all competitions last season, but started just 12 English Premier League matches. The influx of new signings pushed him further down the pecking order, prompting him to seek opportunities elsewhere.
The Brazilian follows a growing exodus of EPL players to the Turkish Super Lig this summer. The transfer is expected to be completed swiftly, allowing Fred to link up with his new Fenerbahce teammates. Both clubs were eager to finalise negotiations before the summer window closed. Fred will hope to reignite his career in Turkey and help Fenerbahce mount a title challenge this season.
His departure is likely to free up the number 17 shirt at United, which could be taken by new signing, Rasmus Hojlund. The Danish striker is currently injured, but will be assigned a squad number upon his return to full fitness.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
