Willian has no doubt Fred will shine at Manchester United

Dom Farrell

Willian has no doubt Fred will shine at Manchester United image

Willian has tipped incoming Manchester United midfielder Fred to be a big hit in the Premier League.

United on Tuesday confirmed an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk has been reached to bring the Brazil midfielder to Old Trafford, with the fee reported to be in the region of £52 million (€60m$70m).

International team-mate Willian is preparing for Brazil's World Cup campaign alongside Fred at their pre-tournament training base in London and told reporters the big-money transfer had been a topic of conversation.

"Of course, no doubt about that," he said when asked whether the 25-year-old would be a success in England's top flight. "He has a lot of quality and he can improve a lot.

"He is going to one of the best teams in the world. I am happy for him and hope he will do well at Manchester United.

"He's very happy to come to the Premier League to play. We talked a little bit about that. He is excited to start.

"But now it is time to think about the World Cup. I think he is very happy but now is the time to think about the national team."

Willian has himself been touted for a move to United and a reunion with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho after a frustrating season at Stamford Bridge, where he was named the Players' Player of the Year despite often being benched by Antonio Conte.

"I was happy with my performance during the season. I played very well and always tried to do my best, always tried to work hard," he added.

"Sometimes to stay on the bench is difficult but I respect the decision of the manager.

"That was that and I have nothing else to say about my club. Now I am focused on the national team and the World Cup and I am ready for it."

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.