Andreas Pereira made 25 appearances for Manchester United in the Premier League last season, scoring one goal and adding three assists.
Despite having plenty of opportunities in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, the 24-year-old was unable to show that he could be an answer for the club going forward, and it was agreed he could leave Old Trafford on loan in last transfer market.
There wasn’t a huge race to sign the midfielder, and it took until October for Pereira to secure himself a new club, with Lazio taking him to Italy for the season. Both the player and his new side expressed their excitement over the move, yet it’s been taking a while for him to settle in.
Starting on Saturday against Spezia Calcio, it’s only the second time he’s been in the initial eleven for a Serie A match, picking up just 98 minutes before today. That’s seen some in Italy question the value of the move and whether Pereira is really someone who can make a big impact at Lazio.
The club’s sporting director Iglo Tare has moved to dismiss those worries.
Quoted by Corriere dello Sport ahead of kick-off, he said: “I don’t think the value of someone who comes from Manchester United should be questioned. It’s a matter of acclimatisation, he needed time like all the other newcomers to be in the group. Sometimes one gets in the way, other times not, but Pereira’s qualities are indisputable.”
