Man Utd transfer which will go down as Erik ten Hag's 'biggest mistake' is smashing it at new club

It's fair to say that Fred never really fulfilled his potential at Manchester United, although Erik ten Hag may come to regret selling the midfielder.

United signed the Brazilian midfielder from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 for a fee of around £52 million, making him Jose Mourinho's second signing as manager.

However, despite making 213 appearances for the club, Fred never really lived up to the hype in Manchester.

He won just one piece of silverware during his five seasons at Old Trafford, and that came earlier this year when United beat Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.

Fred proved to be a useful utility player during Erik ten Hag's first season in the dugout but by then he was too closely associated with an era that saw United spend lavishly but earn little reward.

United decided to sell Fred over the summer following the arrival of Mason Mount but they made a staggering loss on the player by selling him to Turkish giants Fenerbahce for just under £13 million.

Mount has arguably fared worse than Fred did at United since arriving from Chelsea for £55 million. The England international has struggled for form and fitness and has done little to improve United's weak midfield.

With United already struggling to keep pace with the top four, Ten Hag may be wishing he had kept hold of Fred.

That's because Fred and his new club are absolutely flying.

Fenerbahce currently sit top of the Turkish Super Lig, level on points with arch-rivals Galatasaray.

Fred has enjoyed a superb start to life in Turkey. (Image: Getty)

More remarkable is that in 16 appearances for the club, Fred is yet to taste defeat. He has been on the winning side on every single occasion.

Fenerbahce have lost three matches this season - one in the league and two in the Europa Conference League - but Fred was not involved in any of them.

The 30-year-old missed most of November with a groin injury, and Fenerbahce have won both of their matches since he returned to action.

If Ten Hag feels he needs more reinforcements in January, then there might be a few embarrassing phone calls to make.

Topics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Fred, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Fenerbahce

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton