Valencia 'very close' to signing Andreas Pereira on loan from Manchester United

Valencia are reportedly closing in on the loan signing of Andreas Pereira from Manchester United. Spanish Radio Station Cadena Ser says that the agreement between the clubs is "very close" after the 21-year-old midfielder was left out of Jose Mourinho's squads for the first two Premier League games of the campaign against West Ham and Swansea.

Pereira made his first-team debut under Louis van Gaal during the infamous 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in 2014, having been recruited from PSV in the summer of 2011 as a prospect for the future.

The Belgium-born Brazilian made 12 further appearances for the first-team under the Dutch boss but last year Mourinho decided to send him on loan to Granada to continue his development.

Pereira couldn't help stave off relegation for the Andalucian side, but he showed glimpses of his talent in La Liga, scoring five goals and providing three assists in 37 appearances.

Earlier in the summer the player suggested that he was ready to prove himself at United after Mourinho included him in the pre-season tour of the United States.

"No, now I am focused at United. I am here and I want to stay here and I believe I am going to stay," Pereira said. "I am glad that I am here on the tour. I think I will have the chance to kick on. I want to play and show everyone that I can help the team and I want to win trophies and help everyone getting trophies and get a good season."

But reports in Spain claim that Pereira is instead set to return to La Liga to play for Valencia after failing to feature in the Premier League victories over West Ham and Swansea.

Cadena Ser broke on Sunday evening (20 August) that the agreement was "very close" and local publication Super Deporte is now adding that Valencia owner Peter Lim has travelled to England in a bid to complete the deal.

Geoffrey Kondogbia is also set to join them from Inter Milan while last week Marcelino Garcia Toral's side also completed the signing of Gabriel Paulista from Arsenal.

If the reports from Spain are true, Pereira would become the eight player to leave Old Trafford this summer following the departures of Wayne Rooney, Adnan Januzaj, Sam Johnstone, Guillermo Varela, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and released striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Yet, different reports are claiming that the latter could finally continue at Old Trafford for one more season with the club expecting to offer him a new deal in the coming days.