Pereira reveals he dodged Ten Hag to seal £10m Fulham move from Manchester United

Andreas Pereira deliberately refused to speak with Erik ten Hag before leaving Manchester United in 2022, fearing the incoming manager would talk him out of his £10m move to Fulham. The Brazilian midfielder, who spent 11 years at Old Trafford, has since described the transfer as the best decision of his career.

Pereira knew Ten Hag from their time together at PSV Eindhoven and was acutely aware of how persuasive the Dutchman could be. With 75 appearances for United spread across loan spells at Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo, the 30-year-old had decided he needed a clean break rather than another battle for first-team minutes.

“I didn’t speak with Ten Hag,” Pereira told ESPN during his first season at Fulham. “I know him because I worked with him at PSV but I was determined in my head and maybe if I spoke with the manager again I would stay. In my head I was thinking ‘I need to go, I need to feel confident and play’ and that’s what I did.”

The midfielder cited a desire to feel valued and play regularly as the driving force behind his departure from Old Trafford, where he arrived as a 16-year-old. Fulham manager Marco Silva proved the decisive factor in his choice of destination.

“What Fulham offered me and what Marco offered me, it was the perfect opportunity,” Pereira said. “I wanted to feel more loved and I wanted to play every game.”

The gamble paid off handsomely. Pereira went on to make 119 appearances for the Cottagers, scoring 10 goals, and reclaimed his place in the Brazil national team. Speaking to the Evening Standard in 2024, he was unequivocal about the move.

“I think it was the best decision I made in my life,” he said. “To come to live and play here, to enjoy my football, to get back into the national team — leaving is the best decision I made. The time I was there, I really enjoyed being at a fantastic club. But I don’t regret leaving.”

The reunion between Pereira’s former clubs came at a difficult moment for United, who had just surrendered a 2-0 lead at home to Brighton in the Carabao Cup, losing 3-2 to crash out in the third round.