As reported by The Daily Mail, Manchester United could be left waiting on whether or not they can secure the deal that would see midfielder Fred arrive at Old Trafford.

What's the story?

United were reported earlier this week to be closing in on a £52.5m deal to sign the Brazilian from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, with the Red Devils eager to wrap the deal up before he headed to the World Cup in Russia.

However, it appears the player himself is eager to put thoughts of a move on hold until after the big international tournament.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, the midfielder said: "Maybe after the World Cup I will make the choice. Now I am only thinking about the World Cup."

Should United fans be worried about missing out on the player?

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Should United hang around for him?

Fred is undoubtedly a player who can add a bit of defensive strength to United's midfield and potentially fill the void left by the likes of Michael Carrick. However, after such a disappointing season, Mourinho needs to land his big targets quickly.

The club can't afford to wait on potentially missing out on players they're ready to commit to, especially after, in Fred's case, his move to rivals Manchester City fell through in January.

If they can't thrash out a deal before he heads to Russia, perhaps they should think about pursuing other midfield targets.