Man Utd transfer news: Brazilian club confirm they’re ‘still working’ to sign on-loan star

Flamengo’s vice-president Marcos Braz has confirmed the club are still hopeful of signing Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira this summer.

The 26-year-old joined the Red Devils as a youth player but has struggled to make an impact in the first team. Pereira did force his way into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans during his stint as manager, playing 57 games in the first 18 months of the Norwegian’s reign.

However, the midfielder was deemed surplus to requirements ahead of the 2020/21 campaign and was sent on loan to Lazio. Twelve months later he joined Flamengo on another short-term deal, the fourth loan move of his United career.

There have been repeated reports since then that the Brazilian side would like to permanently sign Pereira, with manager Dorival Junior said in a recent interview the player can continue to develop under his watch.

"It’s just an opinion. I hope he stays," said Junior. "Players of this level, players with this potential, are few in Brazil. I have no doubt that this boy can still grow a lot, he can evolve a lot.”

Despite that, Brazilian journalist Vene Casagrande tweeted last week to say Flamengo would not be completing a deal for the player and United would be looking to sell to another club.

After months of contradictory reports, Braz has now gone on record confirming Flamengo do indeed wish to sign Pereira, but admitted it’s a ‘complex situation’.

“Three months ago it was widely reported that Flamengo had closed with Andreas,” Braz told ESPN Brazil. “A month later they said that Flamengo had dropped Andreas. And that’s not it. Flamengo is still looking for an alternative for the player to stay here.

“It’s very difficult, a very complex situation. He is a young player, who has a lot of market, and from a financially powerful club. So when you go to discuss some terms, you have limits to advance on this topic, but Flamengo still works for the maintenance of the player.”

Pereira has made 50 appearances for the Rio de Janeiro club, netting seven times. He has also missed just one of the team’s 13 league matches so far this season.