Manchester United want Toby Alderweireld and Fred before World Cup

At the time Fred’s agent was Roberto de Assis Moreira, Ronaldinho’s brother.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has prioritised the signing of a midfielder and hinted earlier this month that he needs to add a Brazilian to his squad.

The move is set to be completed before the World Cup, which kicks off on June 14.

The midfielder has a contract with the club till the summer of 2025 and is expected to cost Manchester United in the range of €50 million.

“There’s been some advanced talks since January, when I nearly went to Man City”, Fred said.

Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred has revealed he will not make a decision about his future until after the World Cup.

The Brazilian midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City in the January transfer window, but a deal failed to materialise. He also started in their Champions League campaign, and helped them beat none other than Manchester City in the group stages. With little hope of extending his current deal, the report claims they may be willing to let him leave for a fee of around £50m. He served a suspension after testing positive for the banned diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide, following a sample he provided during the 2015 Copa América. But I believe I have a versatility on the pitch and I’m a multi-skilled player, being able to play in both midfield positions. Everything had changed completely.

Fonseca often used the 4-2-3-1 formation favoured by Mourinho and Fred flourished.

The highly-rated midfielder, 17, was part of the U18 team that won the Northern Premier League title this season.

Fred could have a medical after Brazil fly to England on Sunday to play Croatia at Anfield next week in a World Cup warm-up game, and United want the transfer tied up before the tournament in Russian Federation.