SL Benfica manager Rui Vitoria’s decision to exclude Goncalo Guedes from the squad to face Tondela has fueled exit rumours, with Manchester United and PSG in the hunt.
Goncalo Guedes was not named in the squad to face Tondela in the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Sunday night. Portuguese publication Record have now suggested that there is more to the story, hinting that the exclusion could be an indication of the player being close to a move away from the club, with Manchester United and PSG chasing the player.
The 20-year-old has generated quite a lot of hype around his talent, and Goncalo’s numbers this season prove he deserves the attention. Seven goals and seven assists so far, with almost half of the campaign left, are impressive numbers for a youngster. His club form has also seen him make his senior international debut for Portugal, with two appearances for the Seleccao.
Guedes has been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, with AS Monaco the latest club to join the long queue of admirers. Of these clubs, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have been the ones that have been credited with ‘serious’ interest in the player.
Manchester United have now parted with Memphis Depay, which has left Mourinho with Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the only three natural winger at his disposal. Martial himself has not seen much action lately, with rumours of the player’s camp fuming at Mourinho’s treatment of the Frenchman.
Given the situation, Mourinho could look to secure a move for the player who could be the next Portuguese wing sensation.
PSG, on the other hand, have been struggling in Ligue 1 this season with wingers/wide-forwards like Angel Di Maria and Jese Rodriguez failing to impress under manager Unai Emery.
Rodriguez is set to depart, possibly on loan, while Di Maria has been linked to a move to the Far East. PSG have secured Julian Draxler’s services but Emery might want to sign one more winger in case Di Maria does follow Jese out of the Parc des Princes.
The report also iterates that a bid of €30 million would be sufficient to convince SL Benfica to part with their prized possession, a fee neither of the interested parties would have a real problem paying.
Guedes was fit to face Tondela, and his exclusion from the squad does point to a questionable situation with the club.
