Manchester City have reportedly reached a “verbal agreement” with Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred.
According to a report from Brazilian-based news outlet UOL, the player came very close to arriving at the Etihad Stadium in the January transfer window, but terms could not quite be agreed in time.
However, a deal for the summer looks to be increasingly likely and UOL are led to believe that City have reached an initial agreement with Fred over the transfer.
Shakhtar are stated to have been determined to retain Fred’s services in January, as they value him as a key player and were keen to keep hold of him until the end of the season.
Fred has previously expressed his admiration for City boss Pep Guardiola, though, and it seems likely that he will indeed complete a move to the Premier League leaders in the summer.
A deal was reportedly close to being agreed at a fee worth €35m in the mid-season transfer window. It remains to be seen whether this will be the negotiated price in the summer, though, with City’s interest only likely to increase.
