Italian side eyeing swoop for Manchester United midfielder

Fiorentina are reportedly eyeing a permanent deal for out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Fred before the close of the Italian transfer window.

The Brazil struggled during his debut campaign with the Red Devils last term where he made just 13 Premier League starts and he has yet to be involved in the club's proceedings this season.

According to La Nazione, La Viola are keen to follow up the signing of Frank Ribery with the permanent purchase of Fred, who was previously in the ranks of Shakhtar Donetsk.

Fred was present during the recent Premier League encounter against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford but he was not chosen to make the matchday squad by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Solskjaer has recently stated that Fred will have a big season with the club but that may not necessarily assure the Brazilian with regular gametime with Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, Andreas Pereira and Nemanja Matic ahead of him in the selection order.

The Red Devils purchased Fred from Shakhtar for a fee of around £52m last year but La Viola are unlikely to meet the same valuation, given the midfielder's struggles over the past year.