UNITED SPECIAL Fred deal nearly there as United still in talks
UNITED are finalising a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred while he is in the country with the Brazil national team.
The M.E.N. understands United have still not completed a move for the 25-year-old but do not expect there to be any complications in the final round of negotiations.
It is believed United and Fred’s representatives are discussing the final stages and are hopeful of signing the Brazilian for a fee lower than his €60m (£52.5m) release clause. Shakhtar had indicated they would not accept any less but United could negotiate a fee rising to £52.5m with achievable add-ons.
Fred is currently training in London with the Brazil squad, who have held their sessions at Tottenham’s Spurs Lodge in Enfield, just 15 miles away from United’s office in Mayfair.
Brazil play Croatia in a World Cup warm-up at Anfield on Saturday but United could arrange for Fred’s unveiling away from their Carrington training complex.
Jose Mourinho inked his United contract and posed for a presentation picture in their London office and the club arranged for Romelu Lukaku to undergo a medical in Los Angeles last year.
The M.E.N. revealed a week ago United were close to reaching an agreement with the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder.
Fred’s agent Gilberto Silva flew to London last week and is believed to have held additional dialogue to escalate the transfer.
Fred confirmed at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday his representatives had held ‘advanced talks with United’ after a January switch to Manchester City collapsed. DIOGO who?!
United fans were left reaching for their keyboards on Tuesday evening after a new name dropped into the summer transfer window melting pot: Diogo Dalot.
It says it all that in the age of Football Manager and FIFA, where every little detail is known about professional footballers these days, the 19-year-old had flown under the radar. Despite playing for Porto, the Portuguese champions.
Dalot looks set to become United’s first signing of the summer and, in trademark style, Jose Mourinho has plucked a surprise name out of the hat.
The United manager’s first signing at Old Trafford was Eric Bailly, who came completely from leftfield.
A year later, Victor Lindelof arrived six months later than many envisaged. Few saw the Nemanja Matic, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez deals coming in the months before the trio were unveiled.
Dalot, though, is on a completely different level.
Since news broke of United’s pursuit, 139 videos concerning Dalot have been uploaded on YouTube, his Instagram following has soared to 97,000 followers, and counting, and he has trended on social media.
Sadly, these are the kind of figures that would make Ed Woodward’s eyes light up when regaling them to investors on the New York Stock Exchange. The United effect.
Throw in the fact that Dalot, like so many Portuguese, idolised Cristiano Ronaldo while he wore the red of United and you can see why this teenager already has marketing potential.
But that is not why Mourinho signed him and this is a player who fits his profile. The determined Dalot has always played in the above age group for Portugal’s youth teams, arrives as a winner after lifting the Portuguese title and the UEFA European under-17 championship, and, at £17.5m, could yet prove a snip in a postNeymar market. Oh, and he cross the ball.
Mourinho has lifelong contacts in Portugal who will have given their seal of approval and it was notable, too, how Dalot impressed as Porto kept a clean sheet at Anfield in March when United scouts were watching. This is not your typical teenager and having his sister, Mariana, studying two hours away in London can only help Dalot as he adjusts to his new life. Given how he is not playing at the World Cup either, Dalot will be parachuted straight into United’s pre-season tour of the U.S. from Sunday, July 15 and the family feel within that dressing room will be key to integrating him. Expect Joel Pereira and Andreas Pereira to play their part. Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic will, too, when the pair return from the tournament in Russia. And United will not stop there. A year ago, it seemed inevitable that Antoine Griezmann would join United before Mourinho prioritised a move for a No.9 and Atletico Madrid were handed a transfer ban. Those names that are incessantly touted are often not the players who end up at Old Trafford. There could be yet another surprise around the corner. Ciaran Kelly