Flamengo have confirmed the arrival of Brazilian midfielder Andreas Pereira on a season-long loan from Manchester United.
The 25-year-old spent last season with Serie A team Lazio, who declined to choose Pereira permanently after seeing him offer just one goal and four assists in 33 games in Italy.
Pereira entered the final two years of his contract last summer and United had hoped to find a permanent buyer, but the midfielder snubbed other offers in favor of a return to his native Brazil with Flamengo, who did not propose a permanent move.
Now Flamengo has confirmed on its official website that they have taken Pereira with a 12-month loan which will also include the possibility of signing him full time next year.
There is no official mention of where the fee is, but according to The Athletic it could be close to 20 million euros (17 million pounds).
He joins a Flamengo side that also added Chelsea winger Kenedy on loan earlier this month, as well as everyone’s favorite Football Manager wonderkid, striker Gabriel Barbosa.
Pereira has succeeded with 75 matches for United, the last of which came towards the end of the 2019/20 season, when it looked like he could be ready for a career rise under Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Mengo is peace, religion! The Nation hopes to break open. Seja bem-vindo, Andreas Pereira! #NasciFlamengo pic.twitter.com/CNj9PXhNkU
– Flamengo (@Flamengo) August 20, 2021
However, that hope faded before the end of the season as Pereira was out of the squad more often than not, and his loan to Lazio signaled what many thought would be the end of his time at Old Trafford.
His time in Italy did not go according to plan as he was limited to just three Serie A starts, with his only goal for Lazio coming in his second appearance for the club.
United have already agreed to loan out Facundo Pellistri, Tahith Chong and Axel Tuanzebe, and that trio can be joined on the loan market by defender Brandon Williams and Ivory Coast side Amad Diallo.
