Santos Confirm Andreas Pereira Interest Amid Manchester United Exit Rumours

Santos president Jose Carlos Peres has confirmed his club's interest in Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira, and the Brazilians are already engaged in talks with his father.

As the Mirror's Rich Jones reported, Peres told A Tribuna Santos want to take full advantage of the fact he's a fan, and the goal is to sign him in January, not the summer:

"He is a player that interests us a lot. He is a santista and wants to play for Santos. The family is trying. His father wants to see him at Santos for at least a year.

"The problem is that Manchester are playing hard. We know the end of the contract is in the middle of the year, but we want the player now. With his father, I’ve been speaking, but we have not yet entered into the details of values."

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Per the report, Pereira has openly talked about his desire to play for Santos in the past, telling Globo Esporte he would "play for free" if that's what it took.

Sport Witness' Lucas Sposito shared this photo of the youngster posing with the club's shirt:

Born in Belgium, the 22-year-old changed his allegiance to Brazil after playing for several Belgian youth sides and was previously regarded as one of the top talents in United's academy.

He went on loan to La Liga sides Granada and Valencia between 2016 and 2018 and showed flashes of his talent, but Pereira has once again been relegated to a depth role since returning to Old Trafford.

The limited playing time has led to plenty of transfer speculation, and Neil Moxley of the Sunday People previously reported both Arsenal and Chelsea were interested in Pereira.

His contract situation makes him an interesting target, as Pereira's deal will expire in the summer.

According to Brazilian football writer Andre Noruega, United have an option to extend the contract for one year:

Pereira's time at Old Trafford seemed all but over until a few days ago, as Jose Mourinho didn't seem too interested in giving him more minutes. The Portuguese is no longer managing the club, however, and the Brazilian's fortunes could change as a result.

Unless Santos can secure his signature when the transfer window opens next month―which seems unlikely at this point―his future will likely depend on the role he plays for United in the second half of the season.