Transfer ‘imminent’ for Man Utd target Andre, manager admits

Robin Bairner

24 Nov 2023 07:25 GMT
3 min read

Fluminense's Andre is linked with Manchester United and Fulham — © ProShots

Manchester United transfer target Andre is set for a move away from Fluminense “imminently”, according to his coach Samuel Xavier.

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Numerous Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for the talented 22-year-old, with Man Utd joined by Liverpool and, more pertinently, Fulham in the race for a midfielder already capped by Brazil.

Indeed, FootballTransfers has revealed that it is the Cottagers who are leading the way for Andre heading into the January transfer window, though with no proposals yet sent to the Brazilian club, the future of the player remains uncertain.

Andre does, though, appear destined to be going somewhere, with Samuel Xavier all but confirming as much following a 1-0 victory over Sao Paulo.

“It’s imminent,” he said of a transfer for his young talent, although he was tight-lipped as to where the destination of the player might be.

Reflecting back on the match, he indicated that he is braced for the player to go.

“I really enjoyed the way that Martinelli and Alexsander played,” he said. “Andre’s departure is imminent and they are two players training at Fluminense who have already experienced very good times. They are players I count on a lot for next year.”

It was previously reported that Andre had a verbal agreement in place with Fluminense’s president to allow him to leave at the end of the season, and that appears to be a promise that will be kept.

Andre’s last weeks at Fluminense

Andre, who has a contract with Fluminense that runs until 2026, is expected to cost any club buying him close to €40 million, with that figure having gradually increased in recent months.

He has played a staggering 56 times for Fluminense already this season, scoring a single goal in the process. There are four domestic matches left for him to negotiate with the Brazilian giants before the FIFA Club World Cup, in which his side will get a bye to the semi-finals and are hot favourites to reach the final.

On top of this, he started each of Brazil’s last two World Cup qualifiers, which ended in defeats to Colombia and Argentina.

Liverpool have pulled out of the running for him to focus on defensive targets, leaving Man Utd and Fulham as the frontrunners. The London side have the edge, having already completed much of the legwork to land the player.