For all the talk regarding incomings at Manchester United this summer, a further priority for manager Erik ten Hag will be to move players on, as the Dutchman seeks to continue putting his stamp on proceedings at Old Trafford.
As The Guardian reported back in April, as many as 15 players could well be under threat despite what was a largely positive 2022/23 campaign, with the Red Devils needing to generate funds with player sales in order to bolster their transfer kitty.
Among those who could well be heading for pastures new is Brazilian international, Fred, with Manchester Evening News also outlining that the 30-year-old is attracting interest from fellow Premier League side Fulham.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk man – who is now in the final year of his contract – did enjoy a profitable season last time out after scoring six goals and providing six assists in all competitions, albeit with doubts remaining over his lack of quality, having been described as "not good enough" by club legend, Roy Keane.
The diminutive machine notably started just two of the final 13 league games of the season following the abject 7-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool at Anfield, with that lack of action perhaps a sign of his declining status under Ten Hag.
The former Ajax boss could then help to hasten Fred's summer exit by acquiring a dream replacement for the 5 foot 7 dud over the coming weeks, with the 53-year-old potentially already eyeing up one option in the form of Benfica's teenage sensation, Joao Neves.
Who is Joao Neves?
As per Gianluca Di Marzio, United are 'interested' in signing the 18-year-old midfielder this summer, with the youngster – who could soon have a €100m (£86m) release clause – having enjoyed a real breakthrough 2022/23 campaign after making 20 first-team appearances for the Lisbon outfit.
The Portuguese starlet may only be in the infancy of his senior career although he has already caught the eye thus far, with youth scout Jacek Kulig naming him among a group of "highly talented" emerging Benfica stars.
Like Fred, Neves is arguably not the most dominant presence due to his 5 foot 9 frame, although he is still able to make a real nuisance of himself in the centre of the park, with writer Zach Lowy having stated back in May:
"One thing that I like about Neves is despite his short stature, he’s a very good header of the ball and never shies away from going up in an aerial or ground duel. Skilled at protecting the ball and weaving passes forward & holding his own in physicality."
That impressive work ethic has ensured that the Tavira native has averaged 3.83 tackles and 2.06 aerial duels won per 90 across the last 365 days, with that putting him ahead of the current United man in both of those metrics, as the Brazilian averages 3.50 and 0.76, respectively.
The youngster's quality on the ball is what truly sets him apart from the man he could potentially replace at the Theatre of Dreams as he averages 7.37 progressive passes per 90 as a marker of his ball-playing brilliance and front-foot approach, while Fred averages 5.22 in that same metric – ranking him in just the top 43% among his European peers.
With Neves' youth also making him an asset that Ten Hag can build around for the next decade or so, it appears to be a no-brainer to replace Fred with the precocious teen – provided the funds are available.
