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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Blow

Man Utd outcast to be 'offered Old Trafford return' by Erik ten Hag if exit plan fails

Incoming Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will reportedly recall Andreas Pereira if his permanent move to Flamengo falls through.

Pereira, 26, is currently on loan at Flamengo and is expected to sign a long-term contact at the Brazilian club this summer. Yet Flamengo are said to have reservations about completing a £12million deal due to his performances since joining.

The midfielder has played 37 games in all competitions - including last year's Copa Libertadores final, where he made a mistake in extra time to gift Brazilian rivals Palmeiras a 2-1 victory. Flamengo are currently ninth in the Brazilian Serie A.

As reported by ESPN, Pereira has other offers. One of which is the chance to return to Old Trafford to play under Ten Hag. The pair worked together at PSV between 2009 and 2012, when Ten Hag was the assistant manager and Pereira was in the academy.

It's believed United's football director John Murtough has told Pereira about Ten Hag's desire to bring him back to Manchester. The Red Devils are looking to improve their midfield this summer, as many critics believe it's the weak point of their stuttering team.

Paul Pogba is out of contract in June, while Fred lacks the defensive nous needed to guard the back four. Nemanja Matic is no longer the dynamic midfielder he once was and there are question marks over Scott McTominay's ability to play at the highest level.

Andreas Pereira could be set to make a comeback at Manchester United (STEPHANIE LECOCQ/EPA-EFE/REX)

Should Andreas Pereira return to Manchester United? Let us know in the comments below!

It's also unclear if Donny van de Beek will return to Old Trafford. The Dutchman is currently on loan at Everton after making just four Premier League starts in 18 months at United. He's failed to impress at Goodison Park, with the Toffees slipping into the bottom three.

But Van de Beek has worked with Ten Hag before, helping his Ajax side reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2018-19. They also won a league and cup double that season, leaving many United fans hoping Ten Hag can rekindle Van de Beek's form.

Ten Hag is expected to have a transfer budget of between £100m and £150m this summer, although that will increase if sales are achieved. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly, Anthony Martial and Alex Telles are all candidates for the exit.

Pereira has spent much of his United career away from Old Trafford. He joined the club's academy in 2011 and made his debut during the 2014-15 campaign, going on to play 75 games in all competitions since - 40 of those coming during the 2019-20 campaign.

The one-cap Brazil international has spent time on loan at Spanish sides Granada and Valencia, as well as Serie A outfit Lazio. His existing deal expires in June 2023.

"I want to win trophies this year for United and bring the joy back to the club, to see the fans happy," said Pereira when asked about his United future in August 2019. "I just want to get a lot of game-time and help the team as much as I can - score goals, make assists and win trophies."

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