Forgotten Man Utd player makes surprise admission over transfer value; ‘prioritising’ next club
Manchester United player Andreas Pereira, who is currently on loan at Flamengo, has made a surprising admission about his transfer value.
The central midfielder has featured 75 times for the Red Devils in all competitions, scoring four goals. He fell down the pecking order in the 2019-20 campaign and subsequently went on loan to Lazio.
Pereira made 33 appearances for the Serie A club, netting just one goal, before joining Flamengo on another loan in August.
The Brazilian outfit originally had the option to make his transfer permanent for £16.5million. But Manchester United will now accept just £8.2m for the player as they want him gone, according to reports.
Despite the reduced cost, Flamengo could back out of the deal. That’s because of Pereira’s huge mistake in the Copa Libertadores final back in November.
The loanee hesitated and under-hit a backpass in extra time, allowing Deyverson to race in and score the winner for Palmeiras.
Andreas Pereira talks major Flamengo mistake
It has taken a while, but Pereira has finally spoken about the error. During an interview with Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte (via Sport Witness) he said: “I have a contract until June and I will always do my best for Flamengo. I’m focused and positive for whatever comes.
“I just want to thank the fans, the team-mates, and everything they are doing for me and have done.
“It was really difficult, very difficult after the final, but it’s something that inside me I’ve already overcome. I’ve already put it back and I’m looking forward more calmly. I’m sure I have enough quality to reverse this situation.”
When asked about his Flamengo loan becoming permanent for £8.2m (€10m), Pereira suggested he should actually be cheaper. “I don’t pay much attention to these things, but everyone knows that I prioritised Flamengo. Everyone in the club knows this,” he said.
“It’s hard for me to talk about my own value, but a Manchester United player for 10 million euros… Should I be cheaper? I’m doing my best, but I can’t say if it’s too expensive or cheap.
“I’m calm and focused. I know there’s this indecision. I also have to talk about it with the people close to me, and on the pitch I’m calm.
“It can be resolved in a month, at the end before I leave, but I’m calm and always thinking about the next game.”
Should Flamengo back out of the move, then it could force Pereira to leave the team with a sour taste in his mouth.
However, the Belgium-born player went on to reiterate the fact he is ‘prioritising’ Flamengo and their supporters.
“I came to Flamengo to show my football and I will show a lot more,” Pereira remarked. “Of course, the disappointment of not having won the titles remains, for sure, but I always tried to show my value on the pitch and the fans recognised it.
“I always told my friends and Flamengo that I always prioritised them, and that Flamengo is very important to me.”
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