Jose Mourinho did not want to sign Fred while he was Manchester United boss, The Athletic reports.
However, Mourinho opted not to veto the £52million transfer, because he was afraid he would not land another midfielder.
The 26-year-old has struggled to find his feet at Old Trafford, since his big-money move from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2018.
Mourinho had reservations about bringing in Fred, before the signing was complete.
Fred played only once in the final six games of Mourinho's tenure.
The Brazilian has started on just eight occasions under current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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