Having failed to make either of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squads for the opening two games of the Premier League season, Fred finds himself in a tricky situation at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian isn’t the first big money midfielder to struggle at United. Juan Sebastián Verón famously became the most expensive transfer in English history in July 2001 when he moved from Lazio for a fee of just over £28million. He spent just two years with United but left for Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea revolution.
In recent years Ángel Di Maria was another hugely talented player who arrived for a hefty transfer fee but failed to deliver for United. Despite a promising start, the Argentinian lasted just a year with the Red Devils.
Fred joined Jose Mourinho's United last summer for £52million while on international duty for Brazil at the World Cup. Impressive performances with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League saw the midfielder’s stock rise - and United were delighted to win the race for his signature.
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Neighbours Man City had been interested in bringing Fred to the club as Pep Guardiola sought competition and a long-term replacement for Fernandinho and hopes were high for an immediate impact at Old Trafford.
The early signs were promising. Fred’s first United performances saw him nominated for the club’s August Player of the Month award but he struggled to nail down a regular place, amid managerial changes and a difficult campaign for the club.
The midfielder is hoping for a better season this time around, though. He missed part of pre-season after being given time off to get married and Solskjaer is expecting a 'big season' from him.
"Your team will always play better if settled and have a good foundation and not conceding goals," Solskjaer said. "And good teams I played in, we had a strong base, a keeper, settled backline.
"And we hope to provide that for our attackers and midfielders and we believe Fred is going to have a big season as well."
If Fred needs any extra reassurance or inspiration, he only needs to look to Victor Lindelof. The Sweden international initially struggled following his move from Benfica but grew steadily in stature and now looks to be forging a strong partnership with new recruit Harry Maguire.
With places in Solskjaer’s midfield still very much up for grabs, Fred can feel positive about working his way back into the team and enjoying a much more successful campaign this season.
