Andreas Pereira Joins Lazio on Loan From Manchester United

Manchester United have confirmed that midfielder Andreas Pereira has left the club to join Lazio on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 24-year-old spent the majority of the summer linked with a move away from Old Trafford, having struggled for minutes at United following the arrival of Bruno Fernandes in January.

Lazio soon took advantage of the situation by opening negotiations, and United have confirmed on their official website that Pereira will spend the rest of the 2020/21 campaign on loan with the Serie A side.

“Yes, definitely," Solskjaer said when asked whether this was the right move for Pereira. "They’re a big club, Lazio. Andreas needs to play regularly.

“He started last season really well and played loads of games," Solskjaer said. "You could see the confidence growing and see him developing but, after we signed Bruno, that position that Andy played in was taken because Bruno came in and had such an impact. We decided this is what was best for Andreas.”

There is no confirmation from either United or Lazio of an option to buy, but The Guardian state that Lazio will have the option to sign Pereira permanently for £24.5m next summer.

Pereira managed 40 appearances in all competitions for United last season, but saw his role diminish as Fernandes stole the headlines. He featured just twice in United's final 12 Premier League games of the year, with both his appearances coming as a late substitute.

With Pereira struggling to make an impact on the first team, United soon became eager to get his wages off the books this summer. They had pushed for a permanent exit but struggled to find a buyer, inteady being forced to accept a loan.

For United, the focus in terms of outgoings will now turn to finding homes for other fringe players, with Chris Smalling, Diogo Galot and Phil Jones three of several players who could be on the move before the transfer window closes.

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