In his 2013 autobiography, Sir Alex Ferguson explained his fondness for one particular nationality when it came to footballers. “No country can apply the rich mix of ingredients you gain from a top Brazilian player,” he said. “Argentines are deeply patriotic but I found they lack the expressive personalities of Brazilians.”

It is a subject that has split his successors at Manchester United down the middle. Louis van Gaal harbours an infamous and well-documented distrust of Brazilian players, while David Moyes’s stance is unknown. But it is a safe bet to suggest he cherishes the ‘Britishness’ in a player – in a person – more than any other characteristic.

Jose Mourinho proudly and publicly wears the same badge as Ferguson. “I think that a team without a Brazilian isn’t a team,” he said in April. “I think their talent is fantastic and the creativity of the Brazilian player cannot be measured.”

Perhaps the fixation began with his coronation as European management’s next big thing. The first goal of the 2004 Champions League final was scored by Carlos Alberto, the second by Deco, and the third by the exceedingly Russian Dmitri Alenichev, but assisted by Derlei. Two Brazilians and a midfielder born and raised in the country until his late teen years helped inspire the manager’s crowning moment.

Mourinho has signed players from 39 different countries throughout his managerial career, from the Angolan Freddy at União de Leiria to the Jamaican Michael Hector at Chelsea, with the South African Benni McCarthy at Porto in between. He has purchased eight Spanish players, six Frenchmen and three Argetineans. The only nationality he has bought more than his native Portuguese (26) is Brazilian (17).

Six joined Mourinho’s Porto in the summer of 2003, and they ended the campaign as league and European champions. There is little wonder he waxes lyrical over Brazilians. There is even less wonder over why Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred and Juventus left-back Alex Sandro are being targeted this summer. The manager’s hope that “we can have a Brazilian in the squad next year” will come to fruition; he has made his Seleção selections.

Maybe that is why Mourinho was so openly “disappointed” with Andreas Pereira last summer. The 22-year-old looked upon a midfield containing Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick and decided that it was not worth the fight for a handful of first-team opportunities and a bucketload of frustration. The 23 games played by Scott McTominay, 11 months his junior, certainly suggests that was a mistake.

The ‘expressive personality’ Ferguson often craved and Mourinho hoped to find in his only Brazilian player was absent. It has left a gaping hole in the squad that he intends to fill as soon as possible. After all, “a team without a Brazilian isn’t a team”, and United looked far from a cohesive team for large swathes of this past season.

But it is less Pereira the player and more Pereira the idea that Mourinho feels United need. Someone Ferguson described as ‘born for the big occasion,’ with ‘a special quality’ and ‘great belief’; someone Mourinho believes brings “creativity” that “cannot be measured”. Some of this United squad tick one, two or even three of those boxes; no-one currently checks all four – at least not consistently. This United side needs a player with the ability and belief to step up, to hold themselves accountable, to inspire their teammates.

If the valuation of Alex Sandro is the only real negative to his potential arrival as a seasoned, elite but still relatively young replacement in a problem position, the same cannot be said of Fred. There has been little mention of his £52.5m release clause, but persistent questions over his suitability. “He’s a busy little left-footed midfielder,” said Tim Vickery earlier this week. “Very dynamic, and he’s got some quality. He’s developing as well.

“You could see Fred fitting into a dynamic Man City midfield. He’s almost like a smaller left-footed version of Fernandinho. To my surprise, it seems City have dropped aside and United have come in there.”

Whether the “surprise” was more for City dropping out of the race than for United entering it is uncertain, but also beside the point: this feels like an uncharacteristic signing for a team and a manager that has already invested heavily in midfield, and has more pressing issues in defence. But it is indicative of a team lacking a certain ingredient, and a manager who feels something has been missing in his professional life since parting ways with Willian at Chelsea. There is a reason he still speaks so fondly of the winger to this day.

At first glance, Fred is the antithesis of a United player under Mourinho. He is diminutive and dynamic, not tall and physical; fast and incisive, not slow and methodical. He could be the perfect alarm to shake this land of giants from its slumber.

The fee and the fact that many of Europe’s leading clubs were monitoring his progress suggests he should be a success. But this is as much about instilling a particular spirit and engendering a greater morale, belief and ethic than anything else. Mourinho is preparing the wax; Old Trafford is about to receive its first Brazilian in some time.

Matt Stead