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Fred and Manchester United have had a very inconsistent 2021-22 campaign. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, The Red Devils struggled to build on after a decent start to their ongoing campaign.
One of the most criticised players under Solskjaer was Fred. The Brazilian midfielder has been a regular starter for Manchester United, but has struggled with consistency in midfield.
Manchester United's Fred has surprised many this season
Manchester United are yet to lose a game since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking. Fred scored a wonderful right-footed winner against Crystal Palace for United in the Premier League on Sunday
Surprisingly, the Brazilian has scored two league goals already this season. What's even more shocking is that some of the world's best players have struggled to score more than a league goal this season.
On that note, here's a look at the five top players who have registered fewer league goals than Manchester United's Fred thus far:
#5 Timo Werner (Chelsea)
Timo Werner was on a tear with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. The German scored 78 goals in 127 league appearances, becoming one of the top goalscorers in Germany.
He signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2020 to play under former player and manager Frank Lampard. Unfortunately, under the Englishman, Werner struggled to find his rhythm, and the same hasn't improved under Thomas Tuchel.
The German forward has squandered some great chances, which he would have buried if he were at Leipzig.
The Chelsea man has found the net only once in the 2021-22 season, and has struggled to capitalise on the chances coming to him. Manchester United's Fred is not a reputed goalscorer, but has more goals than Werner, which speaks volumes of the German's poor form.
#4 Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool)
Thiago Alcantara is one of the finest midfielders, when on song. Given his ability, the Spaniard was touted to be very impactful in the Premier League when he signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2020.
With his terrific vision and incisive passing, Alcantara can dictate terms from midfield. It has taken him time to settle in England, and he hasn't looked his best in a Liverpool shirt.
A calf injury this season has hindered his playing time, but the Spanish midfielder has still struggled to impress. Thiago Alcantara has only managed a single goal this season, and scoring once last season in 20 starts in the Premier League.
#3 Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
Manchester United's Fred has played only one more game than Manchester City's Jack Grealish this season. The latter joined the reigning Premier League champions this summer.
It was rumoured that even Manchester United wanted to sign Grealish, but opted out of the race. Now that the Englishman is at City, he has the perfect environment to develop into one of the best players in the Premier League.
With the setup Pep Guardiola has at Manchester City, it was expected that Grealish would be a massive threat in attack. So far, the former Aston Villa midfielder has lacked the sharpness and impact he had with The Lions.
Grealish has struggled to finish off some good chances, which is something that doesn't justify his ability. He has had five more shots on target than Manchester United's Fred, yet the Brazilian has been more efficient in front of goal than Grealish.
#2 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Without a doubt, Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. He has performed consistently well for Tottenham Hotspur over the past few years. However, he has been affected after his much-publicised move to Manchester City last summer broke down.
It was also rumoured that Manchester United were interested in signing the English captain, but nothing materialised on that front. Things haven't gone Harry Kane's way this season, even on the pitch. The three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner has struggled to score this season.
In 13 league appearances, Kane has only managed to score once.
#1 Lionel Messi (Paris-Saint Germain)
Where there are goals, there is Lionel Messi. The Argentine took a big step in his career when he left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
Messi had legendary status at Barcelona because of his amazing goalscoring exploits. He was expected to hit the ground running in Ligue 1, but the 2021 Copa America winner has found it difficult to settle in France thus far.
The Argentine superstar has scored only one league goal in nine appearances this season. It is a great achievement for Manchester United's Fred that he has more league goals than the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
