Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, appears eager to make his mark on the current roster by orchestrating a mass exodus from Old Trafford this summer. According to recent reports, as many as 13 players could be shown the exit door.
The polarizing midfielder Fred, who is not on that list, may also have a bleak future at the club; earlier in the season, The Guardian reported that the Brazil international might be among those who leave at the end of the season.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk player, who joined United for £52 million in 2018 under Jose Mourinho, has just over a year left on his current contract after the Red Devils activated a 12-month extension on it back in December.
It is unclear if the Red Devils will sell the 30-year-old this summer, but even if they do, it is unlikely that they will be able to recoup even a small portion of the player’s initial investment.
What is Fred currently worth?
The 5 foot 7 playmaker’s value has decreased significantly since the Premier League club splashed out that £52 million fee, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing him at just £18 million, though it may be impacted by Fred’s age and contract status.
The former Internacional player’s decline is a sign of his inability to perform consistently. Daily Express journalist Alex Turk best captures this frustration when he writes that “the occasional stand-out games aren’t enough,” with Fred largely being a “liability.”
Even though the small midfielder occasionally succeeds, as Turk hinted at, such outings have been rare over the years. Ten Hag compared the diminutive midfielder to a “mosquito” after he proved to be a real pest in the Europa League victory over Barcelona.
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Former United captain Roy Keane said the 32-cap menace was “not good enough” for the team and called him “sloppy and lazy.” The former Republic of Ireland international also called the player “not good enough” for the club.
It can be challenging to understand exactly what the seasoned dud can bring to the team given that he has played 201 games for the team and has only scored 14 goals and provided 18 assists. He can also be rather weak defensively, winning just 49% of all Premier League duels this season.
It’s to his credit that Fred has even reached that milestone of 100 appearances, but it won’t erase the impression that Mourinho and company paid way too much to bring the player to England less than five years ago.
