Man Utd transfer theory emerges as Marco Silva spotted holding lengthy Old Trafford talks
Fulham lost out to Manchester United in their final game of the season but a post-match chat between Marco Silva and Fred has led to suggestions of a possible summer swoop
Fulham boss Marco Silva was seen having in-depth talks with Fred after Fulham's loss at Manchester United.
The Cottagers ended their season with a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford despite taking the lead in the first-half. Silva, who led Fulham to promotion last term, has overseen an impressive campaign in west London with attention now turning to the summer transfer window.
As a result his chat with Fred has stirred the rumour mill. The Portuguese boss and the Brazilian midfielder were seen having a one-to-one chat in, what looks to be the car park, after full-time. Fred has fallen out of favour in Manchester this term following the arrivals of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
Fred has only made 12 starts in the Premier League this term, making a further 23 appearances from the bench. He will no doubt want more involvement though, which could be made even more challenging with United expected to pursue more midfield options this summer.
Should they bring in more new faces then the Brazil international may consider his options, with Silva potentially looking to plant a seed. Fulham, who were tipped to be fighting relegation, have secured a solid mid-table finish and will build again for next term.
The west Londoners unearthed a gem in Joao Palhinha, who has been a standout performer since joining from Sporting Lisbon. They could face a battle to retain the Portuguese star, but if they can keep hold of him will want to add quality to compliment him.
Gary Neville has previously cast doubt over Fred's suitability for a United side under Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman eventually wants to employ a possession-based style that sees the Red Devils play on the front foot, which hasn't been the case in recent seasons.
As a result the likes of Eriksen and loanee Marcel Sabitzer has been preferred to Fred, who is not known for his vision and distribution. Neville claimed on Sky Sports that Ten Hag "likes to dominate the ball, he likes to control the ball. He’s left Fred out for the last few months because he wants Eriksen. I’ve got a little bit of an insight into why Fred’s not playing, Sabitzer is playing because he can hold [the ball]."
Fred moved to the red half of Manchester in 2018 when Jose Mourinho won the race to sign him. He continued to be a favourite under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who often played him and Scott McTominay at the base of midfield, but both men have fallen down the pecking order this season.
