Andreas Pereira's hopes of securing a permanent transfer from Manchester United to Flamengo have encountered a minor setback, with the Premier League club reportedly prioritising more urgent matters. The 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder, currently on loan at the Rio de Janeiro club, had appeared close to finalising a permanent deal, but recent developments have pushed the move down the pecking order.
According to reports, United's focus has shifted to addressing their recent poor form, which includes a shock FA Cup exit to Middlesbrough and a draw with bottom-placed Burnley. These 'more urgent problems' have delayed the finalisation of Pereira's transfer, though both parties remain confident of reaching an agreement in due course.
Flamengo are expected to pay a fee of around £9m for the midfielder, with United retaining a 25 per cent sell-on clause for any future transfer. Pereira, who has impressed during his loan spell despite a costly error in the Copa Libertadores final, is keen to make the move permanent as he believes it offers his best chance of securing a place in Brazil's World Cup squad for Qatar later this year.
Pereira joined Manchester United's academy in 2011 and made his first-team debut three years later. Despite being one of the longest-serving players at the club, he failed to establish himself as a regular, making 40 appearances in his best season (2019/20) but only 35 in total across his other seven campaigns. He has played under three managers at Old Trafford: Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
