"Deal at final stages" - Fabrizio Romano confirms Manchester United are close to landing sizable transfer fee for forgotten man

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Manchester United are set to earn money from midfield outcast Andreas Pereira's transfer to Flamengo.

Various media outlets across Europe as well as Brazil have claimed that Flamengo are pushing hard to keep the Brazilian international on a permanent basis.

Brazilian outlet TNT Sports Brazil first reported the news and now Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed the same. He said that the Premier League club are set to receive a pretty payday for the sale of the outcast.

As per Romano, the Red Devils are close to sanctioning a deal for the 26-year-old for around €10.5 million, including a 25% sell on clause.

The 26-year-old midfielder has been on loan with the Brazilian side since last summer following a below average loan spell with Lazio in the previous campaign.

The versatile midfielder has impressed in Flamengo colours. Top officials at the Brazilian club have been trying hard to make Pereira's return to his homeland a permanent one.

However, they were not willing to pay the buying clause of £17 million inserted in the loan deal.

The 26-year-old used to be the standout player for Manchester United in the academy ranks but could never truly impress when given a chance in the first team. He made 75 appearances for the Red Devils registering four goals and five assists.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the former United boss, gave the PSV Eindhoven youth product plenty of chances to impress but he failed to seize the opportunity.

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What lies in store for Manchester United?

Landing such a sizable fee for a player who played his last game for the club back in 2020 would be a massive boost for Manchester United financially.

Pereira is already 26 years old and has not managed to showcase his potential in Europe.

On top of that, his contract at Old Trafford is set to expire in the summer of 2025 which makes Manchester United big-time gainers from his sale at this pricepoint.

The Red Devils have a number of things to sort out this summer and will be keen to ensure they have Champions League qualification to ease their situation to some extent.

The Red Devils are currently fifth in the league standings, having collected 39 points in 23 games.

The club need to find a worthy successor to interim boss Ralf Rangnick and there are too many areas in the squad that need to be addressed as well.

The money from the sale of Pereira would be a significant boost for the club and could be reinvested in the summer transfer market.