Manchester United announce two blockbuster deals for Diogo Dalot and Fred

2 deals in 2 days for the Red Devils

Diogo Dalot 19, signs from FC Porto

He signs a five-year for £19 Million

Fred signs for United for £52 Million

Both players signed a 5-year deal keeping them until 2023

Diogo Dalot

Manchester United have announced their second arrival in as many days as Portuguese full-back Diogo Dalot joined the club for a reported £19 Million fee after successfully completing his medical.

The 19-year old put pen to paper on a 5-year deal which keeps him with the club until 2023. The deal was announced a day after United signed Brazilian midfielder Fred. (Details on the move below)

Dalot who can play in both full-back positions has been hailed by manager Jose Mourinho as "the best fullback in his age group." He aims to make him a long-term replacement to current right-back Antonio Valencia in the near future.

Career Statistics:

Dalot enjoyed his first full breakthrough season with Porto's first team this year, making 33 appearances in total, including the UEFA Youth League.

He scored 4 goals and created a further 8, which are brilliant numbers for a 19-year old.

In a Home fixture against rivals Benfica in the Portuguese League, Dalot scored once, set-up another and also got sent off.

He also made his debut in the UEFA Champions League, starting the 2nd away leg against Liverpool and managing to keep a clean sheet.

Competition for the Right-back slot:

With Dalot, United now have 6 different players for the Right back slot with the other 5 being Valencia, Darmian, Fosu-Mensah, Lindelof, and Tuanzebe.

Valencia is the club's first choice right back but Dalot can now be his successor down the line.

Among them, Darmian now looks more likely to depart the club with Italian Champions Juventus a possible destination.

Fosu-Mensah who had a brilliant on-loan campaign with Crystal Palace should first look to change his position and play as a holding midfielder with the United first team.

Lindelof may depart the club on loan, but if he stays should look to play more centrally either as a center back or as a holding midfielder.

Tuanzebe should leave on loan, perhaps to a Premier League side who will play him often.

Fred

Manchester United have finally announced the arrival of long-term target Fred from Ukranian club Shakhtar Donetsk for £52 Million, beating off competition from rivals Man City.

Fred 25, has become Man United manager Jose Mourinho's first acquisition this summer and aims to strengthen the central midfield position hailed as "the complete midfielder."

The Brazilian had a fantastic season with Shakhtar this year, leading him to earn a spot in the 23-man squad for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup proving that he is a quality addition to Red Devils.

Career Statistics

In his domestic career, Fred has played for Brazilian club Internacional, making 33 first team appearances in one season. His performance earned him a move to Shakhtar for £15 Million.

Fred spent 5-years at the club, making 155 appearances for the first team, scoring 15 goals and creating a further 15. 

Fred has experience playing in both the UEFA Champions and well as the Europa league, making 31 appearances in total.

Fred's stunning free-kick against AS Roma in the UCL

He was called up to the Brazilian National Side in 2014 and has since gone on to win 7 international caps and feature in the 2015 Copa America tournament.

With Shakhtar, Fred is a 3-time Ukranian Premier Liga Champion, 4-time Super-Cup winner and 2-time Ukranian Cup winner thus defying his winning mentality.  

Fred's Highs & Lows

Fred is a young dynamic player and does possess all the abilities that are an essential in every modern central midfield player. 

He is a brilliant passer of the ball and makes incisive passes capable to break through almost every defense. But, his best attribute has to be his dribbling ability and make deep-lying runs.

Being a box-to-box midfielder, he also diligent in carrying out his defensive duties to break any opposition attack. As a 5ft 7in player, his biggest and only weakness is the aerial ability.

Fred took the place of Luis Gustavo in the Brazilian squad in the 2015 Copa America but suffered a drastic setback to his career.

He was handed a one-year ban for doping after being tested positive for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. He had already played the first half of the 2015-16 season and missed the second-half. The case was appealed in that duration which eventually ended in a 4-month ban between March and July in 2017.

Despite this setback, major European clubs still kept their belief in his development and the abilities and that he is one for the future.

United's new look midfield

Fred's arrival has all but solved Man United's central midfield crisis they had been having since Paul Scholes had retired.and after Michael Carrick's retirement made it all the more essential for the club to make the move.

Nearly 90 percent of European squads will have a Right-foot, Left-foot combination or a Right-foot, Right-foot combination in central midfield. United are now among the rarer teams to have a Left-foot, Left-foot combination.

Nemanja Matic's arrival last season was a major boost to the squad to solve their defensive midfield crisis but he was never paired with a long-term partner. With Fred, that problem looks to have resolved. Fred's holding midfield abilities can also prompt Matic to go and attack just as he did at Chelsea playing alongside N'golo Kante.

Fred's arrival will also get the best out of Paul Pogba who can finally play in his preferred No.10 position. Matic and Fred will play alongside in midfield for the majority of the season and Pogba can finally his best season with the Red Devils since his return.