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Manchester United have confirmed the sale of Brazilian midfielder Fred to Turkisk Super Lig side Fenerbahce.
The player, who joined The Red Devils in the summer of 2018 from Shakhtar Donetsk for around £47m, travelled to Istanbul yesterday to complete his medical.
In the midst of what was surely a busy day for the 30-year-old, he still found time to take to Twitter to thank the club and its fans, with a video montage also attached.
His exit comes after he was told that he was unlikely to play a significant role in the team under manager Erik ten Hag this season, according to the BBC.
Fred had a number of options regarding his next club, with Fenerbahce’s fierce rivals Galatasaray having spent weeks in negotiation with Man United.
Fulham would also have offered the Brazil international a chance to stay in the Premier League, although their interest appeared to cool somewhat once it became clear that Joao Palhinha was likely to stay with The Cottagers.
Fred’s contract with United was set to expire next summer, which goes some way to explaining the relatively low fee he has commanded.
The club will receive £8.62m upfront, with an additional £4.31m available in potential add-ons.
With Fred earning around £120,000-a-week according to SalarySport, getting his contract off the books will also help Man United keep in line with the new Financial Sustainability Regulations lais down by UEFA.
It is expected that Ten Hag will push to sign a new midfielder to replace Fred’s position in the squad before the month is out.
Some reports have suggested that Amadou Onana of Everton could be a target, but Sofyan Amrabat of Fiorentina remains the heavy favourite to be brought to Old Trafford.
You can read The Peoples Person’s comparison of the two tough-tackling midfielders here.
