Keep Or Sell: Andreas Pereira
A young, talented, Belgian-Brazilian who is simply not good enough.
Embed from Getty ImagesAndreas Pereira has made 43 premier league appearances, scored 2 goals and assisted 4 times since bursting onto the scene. He has scored 4 goals in 72 matches since joining United from PSV Eindhoven in 2012. These numbers tell a bleak story of an attacking midfielder who does not possess the creative spark and guile to lift United’s midfield with a consistency required of a United player.
The 24 year old has shown glimpses of his abilities in the 2019/2020 season with a sublime finish and an assist against Southampton at Old Trafford. However, these performances are too far in between to elicit any modicum of confidence that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe United board made a statement with the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon earlier this season. With 9 appearances for the Reds so far, Fernandes is giving United’s fans a foretaste of what is to come. A midfield combination of Fred/McTominay, Paul Pogba and Fernandes is mouth-watering. Michael Carrick, United’s Assistant Coach, was full of praise for the Portuguese midfielder:
“He [Bruno] is exactly what we were looking for. He has an eye for assists and what I like about him is that he is not afraid of losing the ball. If that happens, he will start again. He had a huge influence”.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnited have not lost a game since Fernandes joined the club; 9 games, 7 wins, 0 losses, 22 goals scored and 2 goals conceded. Talk about influence!
It is unarguable to state that Pereira is enjoying his most successful season at United since breaking into the first-team. He’s racking up 37 appearances in all competition before the Coronavirus outbreak. However, he has woefully failed to justify a starting berth in the current United team.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe was abysmally poor against Liverpool and the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City, with his poor decision-making and lethargy in possession costing us both games.
The Belgian-born Brazilian’s contract will keep him at United until 2023, but it is fair to assume that the midfielder’s influence in this current side is waning.
With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looking to boost his midfield options with the signing of Jack Grealish or James Maddison, Andreas Pereira looks to be heading out the door.
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