James Garner could be earning himself a future at Manchester United thanks to his development out on loan, according to one pundit.
Garner is currently out on loan with Nottingham Forest for the remainder of the season. The Championship side originally took him in January 2021 and he settled in enough for all parties to deem it best to extend their association for another year.
But parent club Man Utd only consented to the decision after extending Garner’s contract first. They have him tied down until 2024.
And there is a chance he will be able to make the grade whenever he returns to Old Trafford.
Garner put in a positive performance for Forest in their FA Cup win over holders Leicester City on Sunday. Indeed, the Man Utd man recorded an assist, sending in the corner for his side’s third goal, which captain Joe Worrall scored.
It was one of a few contributions that caught the attention of former Premier League defender Martin Keown on co-commentary for the game for the BBC.
Keown said (as transcribed by the Metro): “Again, set-piece, the ball in from Garner is an absolute beauty. Look at the whip on that.
“You can’t underestimate the quality that Garner is putting into this box. He’s on loan from Manchester United. They need to be thinking about getting him back there quickly!”
And pressed on if he thinks United should be taking encouragement from Garner, the pundit added: “I do.
“I like the way he’s developing, growing as a player. Second year here on loan, you can see the development. He’s certainly playing with a lot more confidence right now.”
James Garner earning Man Utd future, unlike teammate
While James Garner could be heading back to Manchester after his loan spell, another midfielder will be leaving United for good.
Man Utd have agreed to finally sell midfielder Andreas Pereira, who will sign for Flamengo on a permanent deal according to a report.
The 26-year-old moved to Old Trafford as a youngster in 2012 and subsequently rose through the ranks. In fact, he made his debut in August 2014 under then-manager Louis van Gaal.
Since then, though, Pereira has only made 74 more appearances for United. Sixty-three of those came in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, when he formed a key part of the first team.
But either side of those spells, he has spent time on loan at Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo. Lazio tried to sign Pereira permanently last summer, but talks with United did not progress.
Thereafter, the midfielder moved to Flamengo on a season-long loan last summer. The Brazilian club have since been trying to sign the midfielder permanently in recent months.
Reports have claimed that Flamengo sent club chiefs to England this weekend to discuss a deal with United. And according to UOL Sport, both sides had successful talks and in fact reached an agreement.
The two parties agreed terms for 75 per cent of Pereira’s economic rights. Such a transfer model is common in south America.
However, the Premier League forbids its clubs to partake in co-ownership of players. As such, it remains where the other 25 per cent of the player’s economic rights will go.
Nevertheless, Man Utd will earn €14million (£12million) from Pereira’s permanent sale.