While most loan deals are designed to give players a chance to play, it always looked like Andreas Pereira going to Lazio was an effort to get him in the shop window ahead of a potential sale.
He had a tough start to life in Italy as covid-19 complications delayed him from joining up with the squad and playing games, and he’s yet to properly establish himself in the first team.
He does feature in a lot of games but it’s usually as a late sub, so it doesn’t look like Lazio will take up the chance to sign him at the end of the season.
Our colleagues at The Laziali have reported on the latest with his situation, and they don’t see a scenario where they pay the reported €25m asking price to keep him around.
That means he will return to Old Trafford at the end of his loan spell, but it’s reported that United have already made the decision to sell him and they are actively searching for possible destinations for the midfielder in an attempt to sell him in the summer.
He’s always looked like a technically great player who could thrive if a team is largely built around his talents, so it could benefit him to move to a slightly lower level of club where he could actually shine and become the star man.