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Former Manchester United starlet Andreas Pereira is delighted with how his move to Fulham has turned out so far.
The Brazilian midfielder, who learned his trade in United’s academy, failed to establish himself as a starter for the first team at Old Trafford after making his Premier League debut under Louis van Gaal in 2015.
After a string of underwhelming loan spells, Pereira—seven years on from his league debut — left United on a permanent basis to join Fulham in 2022.
Interestingly, the versatile player left the club without speaking with Erik ten Hag, who was named United’s manager the same summer, as he was determined to make a switch.
The transfer to London, reported to be worth £10 million, has worked out incredibly well for both Fulham and Pereira, who has gone on to become one of the first names on Marco Silva’s team sheet.
He featured in 37 of Fulham’s 38 league games last season. Furthermore, his creative prowess from the middle of the park also saw him earn a Brazil call-up after a gap of six years.
Reflecting on his decision to leave United for Fulham, the 28-year-old told The Standard: “I think it was the best decision I made in my life.
“To come to live and play here, to enjoy my football, to get back into the national team with great players, to enjoy my football in the Premier League, leaving is the best decision I made.
“The time I was there, I really enjoyed being at a fantastic club. But I don’t regret leaving. We [the players in my situation] have this desire to show it was wrong that we didn’t play.”
With maestro Bruno Fernandes leading United’s creative charge, the Red Devils have not missed Pereira’s presence in the last two seasons.
His performances in West London have reportedly led to interest from Chelsea and AS Monaco this summer. A permanent transfer away from Craven Cottage will benefit United, who included a 20 per cent sell-on clause into the deal with Fulham.
Now, Fulham have set their sights on another United academy midfielder, Scott McTominay. At this point, they are struggling to convince the Mancunian giants to part ways with the Scotland international, failing to meet their asking price—thought to be closer to £30m.
However, as far as McTominay is concerned, Fulham would do well to underline Pereira’s resurgence in form to show just how promising their project is.
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