Man Utd midfielder confirms he wants to leave

Carlo Garganese

• 7 Jun 2021 08:47 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira has admitted that he does not want to return to the club and would prefer to prolong his stay at Lazio.

Pereira has been on Man United’s books for the best part of a decade but, despite being tipped for great things, has never managed to develop into a top player.

He has spent a number of loans away from Manchester in the past few seasons, including at Granada, Valencia and Lazio.

READ MORE: Why Sancho to Man Utd could be completed this week

Pereira's 2020/21 season with Lazio

Last season, he made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Italian side and scored one goal.

Despite a rather underwhelming campaign for the Biancocelesti, in which 28 of his appearances were as a substitute, Pereira would like to remain in the Italian capital.

“Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga? They are super leagues,” the 25-year-old explained to Tuttomercatoweb.

“The English one is very physical, and as you can see, I don’t have the ideal physique! Joking aside, I loved playing in England; Spanish football is more my style of play.

🏆 Goal of the Season
La rete più bella della stagione è di... 𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 🥇#CMonEagles 🦅 pic.twitter.com/el6cXpDqHx

— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) June 6, 2021

“My future? I would like to stay and play for Lazio again, but this depends on the discussion with United and what they will want to do with me.

“I have a contract with the club; it’s like a second home for me. I have been there since I was 16; I always talk to the people who work for the club.”

A decade at Man Utd

Pereira has made 75 appearances for Man Utd since making his debut in the 2014-15 season, scoring four goals.

He was most active in the 2019-20 season when he played 40 games in all competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

His chances of staying at Lazio will depend heavily on what Maurizio Sarri’s plans are, if the former Chelsea and Juventus coach is indeed appointed as the successor to Simone Inzaghi.