Jose Mourinho wants Roma to sign 30-year-old player he managed at Manchester United - Reports
AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho is looking to sign Fred from Manchester United. According to The Sun, the Portuguese coach is reportedly a big fan of the player and is keen on bringing him to Serie A.
The Brazilian could fall down the pecking order at United, with the team completing a deal to sign Mason Mount from Chelsea. This season, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, and Christian Eriksen all played ahead of Fred, and he could leave in search of playing time.
In an interview with TNT Sports, Fred insisted that he was happy at Manchester United but stated that he could leave in search of regular playing time.
Although the 30-year-old did make 56 appearances for the Red Devils last season, he could not start many games. Only 12 of his 35 Premier League appearances were starts.
Overall, he has made 213 appearances for the side since joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 on a deal worth close to £50 million. He has bagged 14 goals and 19 assists in that span.
Multiple outlets reported that Fulham could make a move for the Brazilian. Roma have also emerged as a possible destination, with Mourinho eager to reunite with the player.
The report claims that the manager is convinced that the Giallorossi can fight for the title next season and believes Fred could play a key role.
Manchester United star nearing agreement on contract extension
Manchester United are close to securing a long-term contract extension for star attacker Marcus Rashford.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Dharmesh Sheth claimed that the two parties are close and determined to get the deal done soon.
He said:
"Yeah, you always hear the word close and then two weeks later, it’s still close. I mean define close. They’ll never put a timescale on it. With a contract this big with one of their key, key players at the club, it’s always going to take a long time now."
He added:
“He’s had interest form elsewhere before, the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, who tried to sign him. He does want to stay, Manchester United wants him to stay and all the noises we are getting is that there is a willingness from all parties to get this contract signed and to get it over the line.”
The Red Devils were keen on locking Rashford down on a long-term deal, with his contract set to expire next summer. He is currently making £200,000 per week.
The 25-year-old became Erik ten Hag's most critical attacking piece last season. He scored 30 goals and had 11 assists in 56 appearances last season.