Solskjaer and Maguire lament Man Utd's lack of discipline in Bern
Manchester United brought in three high-profile summer signings, but the team are crying out for a new holding midfielder. While United may well have to splash more cash to solve the issue in 2022, there could be another solution hiding under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s nose.
Solskjaer currently has Fred, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay to play at the base of his midfield, while Donny van de Beek and Paul Pogba can also play there.
But the club’s recent results have suggested that, despite signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane over the summer, they still have a missing piece in their side.
United were beaten 2-1 by Swiss side Young Boys in their opening Champions League game of the season on Tuesday.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s red card saw Solskjaer make several substitutions to try and manage the game, but to little effect.
Jesse Lingard, who came on as a substitute, made a terrible mistake with an under-hit back-pass to give Young Boys the winner and prompt questions about United’s problems.
Pereira has been playing in defensive midfield for Flamengo (Image: GETTY)
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The 25-year-old is typically deployed as an attacking midfielder, but he has been given a new lease of life in a deeper role under manager Renato Portaluppi recently.
“He’s versatile, he’s a player I talked to even before I arrived at Flamengo,” said Portaluppi.
“He’s a player who has been tested in various positions for his quality. But he told me that he likes to play as a second defensive midfielder.
“So, this is where I’ve been putting him, in this position he’s been helping us, he’s been playing well.
“He’s playing in his position, in the position he likes. He’s a player who knows how to defend, knows how to attack too, he has the quality to do so.
“That’s what I said, he is a player who is above average. Without a doubt, it was a great signing for Flamengo.”
Whether Pereira has a future at United remains to be seen, but it is certainly an interesting development for United to keep an eye on.