It has been a long time coming but Manchester United have finally announced that the work permit has been passed after reaching an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk to sign Brazilian midfielder Frederico Rodrigues de Paula Santos, or as known by many as, Fred.
The announcement came today via the clubs social media accounts, confirming that the transfer has fully gone through.
The reasons behind a delay in the Fred transfer saga were revealed recently that a work permit for Fred was needed, and that the final details of the deal had to be completed with the players agent, hence the lack of official unveiling. Fred completed his medical at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground two-weeks ago, and had already conducted his first club interview, and whilst it’s rare for the club to have announced a deal for a player without the unveiling, there was never a worry that the deal was not going to be completed, both from club and player.
Fred’s transfer could be transformative for the club, given how much United’s midfield has struggled for consistency. Nemanja Matic provided some solidity after his summer transfer from Chelsea, but the Serbian was overplayed, and struggled in a midfield duo when selected alongside Paul Pogba at times. The Frenchman had his own problems, after a strong start to the season and had issues regaining his form. Marouane Fellaini looks set to leave the club when his contract expires later this month, and with Michael Carrick retiring at the end of last summer, Jose Mourinho is clearly keen to strengthen his options in the centre of the field. Fred’s transfer should certainly provide his new club with some more options, especially with United needing to start this next season strongly.
Welcome to the club, Fred!
