Is Andreas Pereira ready to make the step up at Manchester United?

Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira is making headlines after a solid performance against Real Madrid, but is he ready to take the next step for the Red Devils?

Pereira, 21, is currently on United’s pre-season tour of America and has gained some attention for a solid effort he put in against the Spanish giants.

At one stage of the match, the young Brazilian held on to the ball despite facing pressure from no less than four different Los Blancos players, sparking the question – is he ready to break into the United first team?

If the Under-23 international has anything to do about it, that’s exactly what he’ll do.

Speaking to ESPN, Pereira spoke about his determination to stay with Manchester United this season and not spend another season out on loan.

Pereira spent the 2016/17 season on loan to then-La Liga club Granada, where he was able to gain a tonne of experience as a regular starter.

In all, he played 35 matches in the Spanish top flight, racking up five goals and a further three assists – but was unable to prevent the Andalusian club from relegation.

Despite relegation, Pereira himself worked hard and put in some strong performances that kept him firmly in the team’s starting lineup each and every week that he was available.

He was a constant offensive threat, contributing 2.1 shots per match along with 1.5 key passes and 0.9 crosses as he looked to progress his development.

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He was utilised in a variety of positions during his spell with Granada, playing all central and left-sided midfield roles.

His wide range of positional movement saw him pick up at least 31.7 passes per match, with a 76.1% success rate.

He also contributed 1.2 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per match, showing he is capable of putting in some defensive performances when called upon.

Manager Jose Mourinho also seems to be impressed with the young Brazilian, speaking to him regularly during his loan spell and being confident enough in his abilities to include him on the Red Devils’ American tour.

Pereira’s flexibility and strong performances in La Liga could very well see him feature in the Premier League far more often this coming season.

Having a player that can slot into a number of roles will be a valuable asset to Mourinho, with the club also qualifying for the Champions League thanks to their victory in the Europa League.

With plenty of football likely to be played by the team this coming season, it would be a reasonable expectation to see Pereira at least feature on the bench regularly and pick up a number of substitute appearances.

Things are looking up for a player whose senior career started with a shock defeat to lower league opposition.

Pereira was a 45th minute substitute during United’s 4-0 demolishing by League One club Milton Keynes Dons, being the only player besides David De Gea to remain with the team since that fateful day in August 2014.

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Now with a full season of top flight Spanish football under his belt, Andreas Pereira looks ready to kick off a new chapter in his career – putting his disappointing Manchester United debut out of mind.