Fulham are said to hold an "interest" in Manchester United midfielder Fred this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Is Fred leaving Manchester United?
Having struggled to earn the trust of several Man United managers, Fred's time at Old Trafford is running out.
The 30-year-old has failed to consistently hold down a staring berth since his arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 and has ultimately underwhelmed given the size of his £52m transfer fee.
Fred has made 213 appearances over his five years in Manchester, averaging just under 43 a season, but is yet to make the impact necessary to flourish in a Man United midfield. With his contract expiring next summer, the Red Devils will not want to lose him for free.
As a result, Erik ten Hag will aim to recoup as much of that £52m as he possibly can – money that can then be spent on improving the rest of his squad ahead of a busy campaign.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Fulham are one of the clubs that hold an interest in acquiring the services of the midfielder in the transfer window.
Speaking on his YouTube channel about Fred's possible United exit, Romano said:
"United are considering the possibility to sell Fred in this transfer window. It's true that there is interest from Fulham, but also other clubs are really keen on Fred.
"So, keep an eye on the Brazilian midfielder because he could be one more on the exit door for Manchester United."
Fulham have enjoyed recent success with their Brazilian recruitment as Andreas Pereira and Willian both made vital contributions for the Cottagers after arriving last summer, with the former joining from United.
Fred will perhaps be eyeing up the opportunity to follow in their footsteps, joining a solid midfield that was the heartbeat of Fulham's success last season. Both Joao Palhinha and Harrison Reed performed brilliantly in Marco Silva's crunching midfield and the Portuguese coach will be eager to add even more bite to the centre of the park.
Fulham finished 10th last season – only nine points off a European place – and will be desperate to avoid the dreaded second season syndrome, with reinforcements in the transfer market likely to help solidify their status as a Premier League club.
What is Fred worth?
According to recent reports, United have slapped a £20m price tag on Fred despite the fact that his contract is up in a year and he will be 31-years-old next March.
Whether a team will be willing to pay such a sum for a midfielder approaching the wrong end of his career is questionable, but given United's willingness to sell it is possible that some negotiating could bring that fee down.
A £20m transfer would make Fred Fulham's fourth-most expensive signing of all-time, behind Aleksandar Mitrovic, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Jean Michael Seri.
Considering Palhinha, who is now valued so highly amid the summer transfer window, only set the Cottagers back £20m himself, Silva may feel there is better value to be extracted from looking at foreign leagues rather than England's top-flight.
Fred only averaged just over 35 minutes per Premier League appearance last season, despite the fact he was used 35 times by Ten Hag, and perhaps hasn't shown the quality necessary to thrive at Craven Cottage.
