Report: Manchester City looking to fetch Fred before World Cup
Manchester City isn't prioritising a capture of Fred in January, but is aiming to bring in the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder before the World Cup kicks off in mid-June, according to The Telegraph's James Ducker.
Pep Guardiola is aware of his side's overreliance on Fernandinho in the No. 6 role, and the Brazilian showed signs of fatigue in a surprisingly sloppy display against Liverpool on Sunday. Those concerns coincide with the final few months of veteran Yaya Toure's contract, hence the club's interest in strengthening the defensive midfield options.
It's believed City doesn't feel a need to rush into a deal for Fred this month, particularly given his ineligibility to represent another club in the Champions League this season.
City was able to draw up a firsthand account of Fred's skills when Shakhtar faced the Premier League leader twice in the Champions League group phase. He was substituted late into their meeting at the Etihad Stadium after failing to make a telling impact in a 2-0 defeat, but was a stubborn presence in the reverse fixture with three tackles in a 2-1 victory.
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City conducted talks with Shakhtar regarding Fred last summer, and understand his value has increased to over £40 million since then. The Lancashire outfit is keen to tie up an agreement soon, before costs continue to escalate or other interested parties - such as Manchester United and Arsenal - pounce.
Fred, 24, has won six caps for Brazil but harmed his career when he tested positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide during the 2015 Copa America in Chile. He was temporarily banned from both club and international football.
He has gone some way to rebuilding his reputation since, and spoke of his want to link up with Guardiola in the Premier League when learning of City's alleged interest.
"A friend gave me the news saying that City and Guardiola were interested in me," he reportedly told Gazetta dello Sport. "At the exit of the locker room, he (Guardiola) stopped me and said we had a good game. But he did not ask me to play with him.
"However, I confess, I wait impatiently for his call to arrive now. I think I would grow a lot with him. England is the best league in the world and I've always dreamed of playing there."