Contact made: CPFC in the race to seal £9m "great signing", Vieira would love him - opinion

Crystal Palace are looking to hijack Fulham’s deal for Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira.

That’s according to Brazilian publication FogaoNET, who claim that Palace have made contact with United over a potential deal.

Fulham had agreed a deal of £9m with the Red Devils, but this late attempt from Patrick Vieira has given the player a decision to make.

Pereira will decide his future within the next few days, and also has Lyon as a potential suitor.

The Brazilian’s career at Old Trafford has certainly been tumultuous, however, he picked a good year to leave on loan as United slumped to their worst ever Premier League season.

Having initially been touted as an attacking midfielder upon first bursting onto the scene, this season has seen him develop into more of a deep-lying playmaker. He could be the perfect player that Vieira needs to balance his fresh midfield.

With Cheick Doucoure all but announced, and a number of other midfielders linked, Pereira could be the glue to tie them all together.

This season for Flamengo, the £6.75m-rated maestro averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.93 in the league; a solid return for a holding midfielder.

Also offering three goal contributions in just 13 appearances, his time as an attacking midfielder means he has a touch of class that differentiates him from other defensive midfielders.

It is this class that has led his manager for the season, Renato Gaucho, to be full of praise for him: “He is versatile, he is a player I talked to even before joining Flamengo.

“He is a player who knows how to defend, knows how to attack too, he has the quality for that. That’s what I said, he is a player who is above average. Without a doubt, it was a great signing for Flamengo.”

Pereira had