Andreas Pereira to Return to United as Flamengo Pull Out of Negotiations

Andreas Pereira, Manchester United, Flamengo

According to reports in Brazil, the deal between Flamengo and Manchester United involving a permanent move for Andreas Pereira has collapsed. The Red Devils believed that a permanent deal was imminent for the Brazilian midfielder, with only a month left in his loan spell, but the move seem to have stalled since.

The 26-year-old midfielder hasn’t made a competitive appearance for United since 2020. He failed to break into the first-team at the Old Trafford under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was loaned out to Flamengo last August. It looked like United would finally be parting ways with the Brazilian after this season.

Andreas Pereira, Flamengo, Manchester United — Image obtained via The Peoples Person

However, his costly error in the Copa Libertadores final against Palmeiras turned the fans against him. This has led the Flamengo board to rethink their decision on making the loan move permanent. Moreover, Pereira hasn’t been the same after his huge error and his performances have dropped, making the decision easier for the Brazilian club.

According to Brazilian outlet O Dia (via United in Focus), Flamengo have decided against signing Andreas Pereira from Manchester United and subsequently, withdrawn from the negotiations. The report states:

“Since then, Andreas has dropped in performance and lives with the wrath of the red-blacks, who occasionally get on the player’s back. Even on social media, fans, in large majority, ask the board not to buy him.”

The same has been reiterated by Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, with the player’s agent, Giuliano Bertolucci, confirming the news. Bertolucci said that the agreement between Flamengo and Manchester United over a permanent move for Andreas Pereira has collapsed and the player would be returning to Europe this summer.

Andreas Pereira's agent confirms negotiations now broken with Flamengo: "He's gonna return to European football", Giuliano Bertolucci told @venecasagrande. ⚠️🇧🇷 #MUFC

The agreement between Flamengo and Man United to keep Pereira has definitely collapsed.

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 30, 2022

Moreover, as reported by Yahoo Brasil (via Metro), Andreas Pereira has been asked to return to Old Trafford, as Manchester United have no intention of selling him to Flamengo. The change of scenario seem to have occurred after the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the new manager.

The Football Director of Manchester United, John Murtough, has reached out to the Brazilian directly. Murtough informed the player that ten Hag views the his profile as a good fit to his system. This grants the 26-year-old one last shot to revive his Old Trafford career next season, with one more year left on his contract.

Why Does Erik Ten Hag Wants to Give One More Chance to Andreas Pereira?

Manchester United have already confirmed the departures of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba, which has created a huge void in their midfield. The Dutch manager is also likely to give James Garner a chance after his impressive loan spell at Nottingham Forest. Ten Hag believes that Pereira fits the style of play he wants to implement at Old Trafford.

The midfielder has impressed the United fans on several pre-season tours with his long shots and passing. However, he failed to replicate those performances when given the chance in the starting XI in a competitive game, mostly being below-par. The fans gave him the nickname of ‘Pre-season Pirlo’ because of his stunning displays during pre-season.

Andreas Pereira — Image obtained via Metro

Moreover, he also had good loan spells with Valencia and Granada in Spain. Losing Matic and Pogba in the same season might give Pereira a ray of hope of getting selected more often. If he does succeed under Ten Hag, then he would be almost like a free new signing for United. However, it will be difficult to find a new club for him if he once again fails.

Should Manchester United Trust Ten Hag or Cash In On Pereira?

Pereira’s skills have been evident during his loan spells and also at United sometimes. He is a technical player like most Brazilian players and Ten Hag favours such kinds of players too. United lack technical players at the club and the Dutchman might take some time to get the desired set of players.

However, he has mostly suffered from inconsistency and confidence issues after an error. The 26-year-old Brazilian can be an even better player if he somehow overcomes those occasional errors. Those mistakes are a result of his low confidence that could cost his team important games.

Erik Ten Hag likes to make his own observations and also likes to study the player by himself. There is a possibility that the Dutch manager might see something in Pereira that other managers have been unable to. Ten Hag can do something similar to what he did with Sebastian Haller at Ajax.

A few training sessions and matches with the player will give the manager a better idea about how he utilise the player’s skills. If Ten Hag somehow manages Pereira to play at the peak of his abilities, then United may not need to sign a midfielder of his skillset.

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