Man Utd midfielder brands exit rumours as ‘fake news’
Robin Bairner
- 7 Jan 2022 18:20 GMT
- 3 min read
Manchester United have been rocked in recent days by reports that a significant portion of their squad wants out.
It was claimed in the Daily Mirror that as many as 11 players want to leave Old Trafford, while Goal suggested that this initial claim was, in fact, an underestimate.
Certainly, it is clear that as the Red Devils brace themselves for an FA Cup tie on Monday against Aston Villa, all is not well.
They were outplayed by Wolves in a 1-0 Old Trafford defeat last week, while performances under interim boss Ralf Rangnick have shown few signs of improvement.
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Meanwhile, Fred is one of the players who has been linked with a departure from the club.
The 28-year-old has moved quickly to shoot these claims down.
On Man Utd’s official website, he posted a statement that reads: "Over the past few days, I have read several fake news [stories] involving my name and other MUFC athletes. I'm not in the habit of answering controversial stuff publicly, but this time I will have to.
"I just want to say that I am very happy here and I have never expressed any dissatisfaction and the possibility of leaving the club. Don't get misled by fake news. We will continue to work with great dedication to pursue our goals."
I just want to say that I am very happy here and I have never expressed any dissatisfaction and the possibility of leaving the club. Don't get misled by fake news. We will continue to work with great dedication to pursue our goals.
— Fred Rodrigues (@Fred08oficial) January 7, 2022
Fred’s Man Utd journey
Fred has been at Man Utd since 2018, when he arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk and initially struggled to establish a positive reputation for himself in the Premier League.
However, since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign he has been one of his club’s standout figures. Indeed, he scored the only goal of the game as Man Utd beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in Rangnick’s first match in charge of the side.
He was replaced at half-time during the disappointing 1-1 draw with Newcastle then featured only for the last minute in a 3-1 win over Burnley, while he did not earn a single minute against Wolves.
Fred, though, has been firm that his future lies at Man Utd.
