Manchester United have been in advanced talks with Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk for quite some time to secure the services of Fred. The Brazilian midfielder has a release clause of €60m (£52.5m). However, the Red Devils are unwilling to pay the full amount and are in negotiations to drive the price down. The Old Trafford club are looking to confirm the deal before the World Cup.
The Brazilian national team is currently training in England and United want to wrap up the deal before he flies to Russia. His agent Gilberto Silva was in London (where Brazil are currently based) to iron out the final details. While United are reportedly not in favour of paying the full amount, they could agree to a fee that could rise to the £52.5m Donetsk with the help of performance-based add-ons