Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly keen on signing the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’, Goncalo Guedes, from Paris Saint-Germain.
Premier League giants Manchester United have set their sights on Paris Saint-Germain attacker Goncalo Guedes, according to reports from Spanish outlet Don Balon.
Touted as the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’ back in his homeland, Portugal, the 21-year old gifted winger started out at Benfica, before earning a move to PSG in January 2017, as the French heavyweights beat competition from a number of clubs including Manchester United for his signing.
However, Guedes found it hard to find game time with Les Parisiens in his debut campaign, making just two starts in the second half of the 2016/17 season.
The arrival of Neymar for a world-record fee, along with Kylian Mbappe’s signing last summer further dented his chances of first-team action. As a consequence, he was shipped out on loan to La Liga side Valencia for the 2017/18 season.
The 21-year old shone brightly with the Los Che, as he went on to score five times and set up 11 more goals in 33 La Liga appearances, while he also netted a solitary goal in 5 Copa Del Rey fixtures.
Guedes’ impressive performances for Valencia saw him earn a spot in Portugal’s 23-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2018. However, the youngster endured an underwhelming campaign in Russia, managing just one assist in four appearances as the Seleccao crashed out in the second round of the tournament.
Despite his poor displays in Russia, Guedes remains an extremely talented and exciting player with loads of potential. And Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is understood to be keen on bringing him to Old Trafford in the ongoing transfer window, as he looks to build a squad capable to challenge neighbours Manchester City for the Premier League title.
The right-flank has been an area of concern for the Red Devils in recent times. Mourinho has had to utilize the likes of Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard in an unnatural position out on the right-side. Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and January signing Alexis Sanchez have also been tried, but all of them have proven to be far more effective on the left-flank.
However, the signing of Guedes could offer a solution to Mourinho and United’s right-flank conundrum. The 21-year old is capable of playing anywhere in the attacking third and had seen a lot of success out on the right wing during his time with Benfica.
PSG too are understood to be open to the possibility of selling the Portuguese starlet, as they look to balance the books, following their heavy spending last summer. The French champions are likely to demand a fee in the range of €80 million for Guedes, who still has three years left on his contract with the club.
While the fee does seem steep, Guedes has shown great promise in his fledgling career and has the talent and the skills needed to be a hit at the Old Trafford.
Manchester United have made three major signings this summer already, having brought in Diogo Dalot and Fred early on, before signing goalkeeper Lee Grant most recently. But, it remains to be seen if the Mancunians will act on their reported interest in Guedes.
