Manchester United making progress in pursuit of £40m midfielder

Manchester United have reportedly opened up negotiations with the representative of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred. The Brazil international is said to have the ambition of pursuing a Premier League move this summer and United are currently the front runners to acquire his signature.
According to The Star, the Red Devils are trying to push through an agreement for the former Internacional man, who was previously on the radar of Manchester City. The Citizens were keen on secure his services during the January transfer window but manager Pep Guardiola decided to switch his focus towards signing defender Aymeric Laporte after Shakhtar declined the prospect of a mid-season deal.
Fred has since been associated with a Premier League move on a number of occasions and Jose Mourinho’s side are now maintaining contact with his agent in order to finalise a £40m deal during the summer.
Mourinho has recruited the likes of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba to bolster the midfield in each of the previous two summer transfer windows but there still appears the need for more reinforcements in the centre of the park.
Michael Carrick has already announced that he would be retiring at the end of the month and this combined with the probable departure of Marouane Fellaini seems to have intensified the requirement for new recruits.
Fred would certainly not act as a like-for-like signing for the retiring Carrick but the Brazilian has earned plaudits for his strong defensive contribution and the ability to make accurate passes through the lines.
Manchester United ended their Premier League season in the runner-up position with a 19-point deficit to table-toppers City. They can still, however, end their campaign on a high by lifting the FA Cup in the Wembley showdown against Chelsea on Saturday.