Andreas Pereira Lazio Serie AGetty

Manchester United loanee Pereira wants to extend his stay at Lazio

Manchester United loanee Andreas Pereira wants to extend his stay at Lazio, conceding he doesn't have the "ideal physique" for Premier League football.

Pereira moved on a season-long loan to Lazio last October after falling down the pecking order at OId Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The 25-year-old impressed at Stadio Olimpico in 2020-21 and would like to continue playing in Serie A, but acknowledges that the final decision on his future will be made by United.

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What's been said?

Asked where he will be playing next season, Pereira told Tuttomercatoweb: “Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga? They are super leagues.

"The English one is very physical, and as you can see, I don’t have the ideal physique! Joking aside, I loved playing in England; Spanish football is more my style of play.

“Future? I would like to stay and play for Lazio again, but this depends on the discussion with United and what they will want to do with me.

“I have a contract with the club; it’s like a second home for me. I have been there since I was 16; I always talk to the people who work for the club.”

Pereira's record for Lazio

Pereira made 33 appearances across all competitions for Lazio last term, including 26 in Serie A, helping them finish sixth.

The Brazilian only managed to score once for the Rome-based outfit, in a thrilling 4-3 win at Torino, but did manage to lay on a further four goals for his team-mates.

The bigger picture 

Pereira has spent his entire career to date on United's books, having initially broken into the first-team as a teenager in 2014.

However, the midfielder has been unable to establish himself as a regular at Old Trafford, making just 75 appearances for the club so far, and competition for places in the middle of the park is now fiercer than ever in Solskjaer's ranks.

Pereira still has two years left to run on his contract with the Red Devils, but it has been reported that they could cash in on the playmaker if they receive a suitable offer.

Further reading

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