Report: Shakhtar's Fred to undergo medical with Manchester United

Manchester United looks poised to pip its crosstown rival to a summer signing.

The Red Devils are reportedly closing in on a £52-million move for Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian midfielder, Fred, who's set undergo a medical with United at some point early this week, according to Simon Stone of the BBC.

Fred was supposedly on Manchester City's radar earlier this year as the Citiziens looked for a new face with Yaya Toure's contract running down, but United reportedly made the midfielder its top focus in recent days after it balked at Lazio's asking price for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Related: United reportedly nearing €50M Fred deal; Milinkovic-Savic too expensive

A defensive-minded midfielder by trade, Fred has also seen rare minutes at left-back, a position in which Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho resorted to deploying traditional winger Ashley Young this past season. Meanwhile, Fred appeared in 37 total games for the Ukrainian champion, scoring four goals and contributing seven assists while helping Shaktar progress to the Champions League's round of 16, where it fell to Roma.

The 25-year-old will also represent his country at the World Cup in Russia after making manager Tite's final 23-man squad for Brazil. He appeared in the side's 2-0 victory over Croatia on Sunday, coming on as a late substitute in a match that also saw Neymar play for the first time since suffering a broken foot with Paris Saint-Germain in February.