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Forget about the World Cup. Summer is about one thing and one thing only: transfers! And Manchester United are off with a bang, having today confirmed the arrival of Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk.
#MUFC is delighted to announce it has reached an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk for the transfer of Fred.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 5, 2018
More details: https://t.co/uQM1R6bmgH pic.twitter.com/52Kg4k2jT8
United are yet to announce a transfer fee, the length of the new signing’s contract, or his new squad number, but a “further announcement will be made in due course.” He looks at first glance like a direct replacement for Michael Carrick, who retired at the end of last season. At least we know he isn’t meant to replace the probably-leaving Marouane Fellaini: Fred’s only 5 ft 6 tall.
Your correspondent would be lying if he said he knew too much about Fred, but fortunately, other people are much cleverer. Here’s what former tBB editor Ryan Baldi has to say about the lad:
When it comes to the duties of a central midfielder, Fred can do it all. A gifted passer off either foot, he is able to break the lines of the opposition either via incisive through-balls or powerful dribbles. The Brazilian is also defensively aware, often seen sprinting back towards his own goal to break up play, compensating for the errors of team-mates.
Sounds good to us. Welcome, Fred the Red. Hey, that’s pretty catchy. Somebody should do something with that ...