Nottingham Forest plot audacious swoop for former United midfield ace, Carrick would never have sold him – report

Manchester United parted ways with Fred in the summer of 2023, with the player opting to move to Fenerbahce. The Brazilian has performed quite well in Turkey so far, registering nine goals and 19 assists in 105 appearances to date. Fred rose through the ranks at Internacional before breaking into the first team in 2012. His performances with the Brazilian club earned him admirers at Shakhtar Donetsk, and he made the move to Ukraine in 2013. Fred spent five seasons with Shakhtar, amassing 15 goals and 15 assists in 155 appearances in all competitions before United came calling in the summer of 2018. Fred’s record at United Fred forged a stellar partnership with Scott McTominay under former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Dubbed ‘McFred’, the two of them divided opinion among fans, but remained favourites under the Norwegian manager. Solskjaer’s departure in December 2021 went on to affect the Brazilian’s playing time at the Theatre of Dreams. With Casemiro arriving from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022, Fred was eventually deemed surplus to requirements and offloaded a year later. By then, he had managed 14 goals and 19 assists from 213 games in all competitions for the Red Devils. Fred Career Stats ClubAppearancesGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Manchester United213141941113,759′ Shakhtar Donetsk155151542211,623′ Fenerbahçe10591924–8,039′ Sport Club Internacional558913–4,315′ Total5284662120337,736′ Source: Transfermarkt. Current Red Devils caretaker manager Michael Carrick hailed the Brazilian for his “infectious energy” during his first stint at Old Trafford. A recent update now suggests that the 32 year old could make a return to the Premier League this year. Nottingham Forest want Fred According to journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, as cited by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest are interested in bringing Fred back to the Premier League this month. The West Bridgford-based club are looking to reinforce their midfield in January, with Douglas Luiz’s loan deal from Juventus likely to be cut short. Should the he end up leaving, Forest would need a replacement and it appears that Fred is on their radar. The report adds that they have already enquired about the former United man’s availability, but there is no mention of Fenerbahce’s response. However, it is noted that the Turkish club are open to player sales this month, and with Fred now in the final 18 months of his contract, an exit could materialise. Final Thoughts Many fans will feel that Fred was underappreciated during his time at United. The Brazilian’s tenacity and energy were among his strong points, but he never really lived up to expectations at the Theatre of Dreams. The Red Devils, meanwhile, are already preparing for a midfield overhaul this summer and have several Premier League-proven names on their radar. Fred’s possible return to England, as such, is unlikely to be anything more than a touch of nostalgia for United fans. The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.