If you can't tell how well did Fred do at United, then look at the transfer fee Fenerbahce paid for him

Fred is about to sign for Turkish giants Fenerbahce in a $16.4 million deal. Even though he's entered the last year of his Manchester United contract, it's striking to see that the player who arrived for $52.5 million leave for $36 million less.

It's fair to say that Fred rarely excelled during his five-year stay at Old Trafford. The Brazilian international was one of the victims of United's lack of direction and managerial changes. However, he will be the biggest culprit for delivering far less than expected.

Fulham expressed interest in signing the 30-year-old, but he decided to move to Turkey when Fener offered him a four-year contract with a salary of $5 million per year. United approved Fred's travel to Istanbul for a medical after accepting Fener's offer. United is now expected to pursue Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat as a replacement.

After Edin Dzeko and Dusan Tadic, the Canaries from Istanbul add another star name to their squad. Fenerbahce got Fred even though their rivals Galatasaray had been trying to sign the Brazilian for a long time. The Yellow-Navy Blues carried out a very secret operation which proved a success. Fenerbahce first sat at the table with the Brazilian midfielder and agreed on everything, then started negotiations with Manchester United. The Turks will pay two-thirds of the transfer fee upfront, while the remainder will be paid in the form of various bonuses.

Even though he's been a Manchester United player for five years, Fred hardly left a mark. Whether anyone will remember him in Manchester in a couple of years is questionable.