Manchester United loan for Pereira makes pre-season minutes a wasted exercise

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Andreas Pereira appears set to depart Manchester United on a year long loan deal.

Fabrizio Romano reports the loan to Flamengo is ‘done and completed’, pending a formal announcement.

Flamengo will pay part of Pereira’s wages, and for United, that is about as good as it gets.

Pre-season minutes taking opportunities

Pereira was given a surprisingly large role in pre-season and the gamble does not appear to have paid off.

The midfielder played 45 minutes against Derby, 65 minutes against QPR and 61 minutes against Brentford.

While against Derby there was an equal split, his presence in midfield meant talented youngster Ethan Galbraith had to make do with a fill-in role at right-back.

Against QPR and Brentford, Pereira played more minutes than Galbraith, James Garner, Hannibal, Dylan Levitt and Shola Shoretire.

Versus Everton, Pereira got 30 minutes, while Galbraith, Levitt, Shoretire and Hannibal did not get a minute, while Garner had 21 minutes.

Last weekend Pereira took up a spot on United’s bench against Leeds, while James Garner had to watch from the stands.

Gamble fails to pay off

United sacrificed a few extra minutes for the development of the young talents on the books to give Pereira game time and importance, despite him clearly not figuring in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first team plans.

Pereira’s spectacular volley against Brentford was a nice moment, and it looked, maybe, to bring United’s plan into clear focus.

This was United putting Pereira into the shop window. If it had netted United a £20 million fee, perhaps even £10 million, it would have been worth it.

Instead United’s efforts to get a fee for Pereira have failed. A loan is a lacklustre deal for the club to be striking for the midfielder.

This would have been achievable whether Pereira had played or not, even if it had taken right up to the deadline, United would have found a club for him.

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