Fred officially rejoins club

Some journeys in football take the long way round before finally arriving back where they started.

For over a decade, a familiar face from Manchester United’s midfield, Fred, has been plying his trade across three different continents, from Eastern Europe to the Premier League to Turkey.

Along the way, he became a fixture for his country on the biggest stage of all, representing Brazil at two separate World Cups.

At Old Trafford, he built a reputation as a tireless, combative presence in the engine room, first alongside Scott McTominay and later as part of a partnership with fellow countryman Casemiro.

Supporters who watched him during that spell still speak of him fondly, even two years on from his departure.

Fred rejoins club

Fred has rejoined Atletico Mineiro, the club where his career first began and one he has supported his whole life, as the club announced on their website.

The Brazilian midfielder has signed a deal running until the end of the 2029 season, and will wear the number 7 shirt.

It brings to an end years of speculation about a reunion that Fred himself never tried to hide his desire for.

Fred came through Atletico’s youth ranks before leaving Belo Horizonte as a young man to build his career in Europe.

He first made his name at Shakhtar Donetsk, where United came calling in June 2018.

Over five seasons at Old Trafford, he made 213 appearances in all competitions and scored 14 goals, becoming a regular fixture in United’s midfield.

His time in Manchester came to an end in August of 2023, when he completed a move to Turkish side Fenerbahce.

Atletico Mineiro have described the negotiation to bring him back as a complex but hugely significant one for the club.

For Fred, though, the outcome is simple, a boyhood dream, delayed by a glittering career elsewhere, has finally come true.