With the resurgence of the club under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solkjaer, several Manchester United stars have renewed their contracts with the club. Now, Manchester United have secured Andreas Pereira’s immediate future by extending the midfielder’s contract, sources have told ESPN FC.
The Brazil international has had 12 months added to his existing deal after the club triggered an option in his contract. He is set to stay at Old Trafford until at least 2020. He will be happy with the deal after getting enough playing time at the club after getting loan spells at Valencia and Granada.
Pereira is enjoying his breakthrough season at United. He has made 14 first-team appearances this term and started in the Champions League turnaround against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes — just four days after the 23-year-old scored his first Premier League goal in the 3-2 win over Southampton.
He signed a two-year deal with United in 2017 after agreeing a season-long loan switch to Valencia. He made 29 appearances for the Spanish side, scoring once. It followed another season spent on loan in La Liga with Granada.
The Belgium-born midfielder joined Manchester United from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 2011. He is eligible to represent Brazil through his father and made his full international debut against El Salvador in September.
Caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been impressed with Pereira since taking over from Jose Mourinho in December. Pereira has faced stiff competition in midfield with Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Fred all vying for places.
However, sources have told ESPN FC that should Solskjaer get the United job full-time — as expected — he will look to keep Pereira at the club in the summer.
Meanwhile, Manchester United plan to recall Jesse Lingard after the international break following his return to training last week.
Lingard has not appeared since his 18-minute outing against Liverpool on February 24, when he suffered a second hamstring injury just 12 days after pulling his other hamstring in the Champions League round-of-16 first leg with Paris Saint-Germain. However, the 26-year-old featured in training on Friday.
Although Lingard was photographed with teammates at Carrington, the MEN understands he was not fully fit and did not participate in the full session. United’s preference is for Lingard to make his comeback for the Premier League visit of Watford on March 30, rather than at Wolves in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
Juan Mata, who also tweaked his hamstring against Liverpool, joined teammates for light training last week but did not travel for the Premier League defeat at Arsenal. Ander Herrera (hamstring) did ball-work but was not deemed fit enough to make the travelling squad and the expectation is he will be involved at Wolves.