Manchester United: Mourinho disappointed with Pereira’s loan

On the Spanish deadline day, Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira opted for a season-long loan move to Valencia, much to the disdain of manager Jose Mourinho.

The 21-year old Belgiun born Brazilian was one of the few bright spots for relegation-bound Granada, where he scored five goals while on loan, and impressed the boss.

“Andreas is already a very good footballer. He is a young player with great natural ability and a good attitude towards continuing his development. I have no doubt that he has the potential to be one of the future great players of this club,” said Mournho.

Pereira, whom many hoped would feature for the United side this season, has been left out of each of the match day squads thus far.

Regardless of the limited opportunities so far, Mourinho wishes the midfielder would have stayed and fought for his place.

“Andreas Pereira was a personal decision that I don’t agree with,” Mourinho said. “A decision I don’t think honestly I don’t think is the best decision for him, a decision that disappoints me a little bit, because I think he has the potential to be here fighting for a position, for opportunities, and fighting to be a Manchester United player.

The lack of playing time so far is one of the reasons why the Brazilian opted for the loan move, however, he knows where he wants his future to lay.

“The manager is building a great team here and I want to be part of that as soon as possible,” Pereira said. “I am going to continue my development at Valencia this season in the hope that I will get plenty of minutes on the pitch. I would like to thank the manager for his help and guidance and for the faith he has shown in me.”

Despite the loan, Pereira recently signed a contract extension to keep him at Old Trafford until 2019, with an option for an additional year.

The finer details of Pereira’s loan deal also include an option for Mourinho to recall him back to Manchester starting January 1. An option that could quite easily happen if the Red Devil’s are faced with injuries heading into the fixture packed month.

This could be  a win-win scenario for the Red Devils. If reinforcements are needed in January, recalling a promising player like Pereira who already has chemistry with the squad could be a much better option than splurging on a completely new player. And if he isn’t needed, he gets regular playing  time for a good club in one of the best leagues in the world.

“You have to be ready to fight for a position and I am a bit disappointed that he left,” Mourinho said. “But okay, it was his decision, I open the door for his decision, he has a long-term contract, we have the option to bring him back on January 1, so we have that situation under control. It is not a drama but is a decision that disappoints me a little bit.”

Pereira certainly has the talent to be one of the games future stars in the midfield, and that potential has brought its fair share of suitors, with both PSG and Juventus both failing to snatch him away from Old Trafford.

Next: Mourinho: Manchester United and manager disagree on club matters

He’s slowly growing into a star for both club and country, and there’s a feeling around United that it’s only  a matter of time for when he inserts himself into the United first team. Juan Mata isn’t getting any younger, and if Pereira continues to develop this season at Valencia, he could easily be in line to inherit both Mata’s No.8 and his position in the side.