Manchester United are reportedly set to enquire about the availability of Benfica forward Goncalo Ramos in January.
According to a report in ESPN, Manchester United will initiate contact with Benfica as they are very keen to bring in a forward next month. And Goncalo Ramos is a name that has popped up after his World Cup heroics.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s failure to engineer a move away from Manchester United in the summer did not end well as the 37-year-old had a bitter fallout with Erik ten Hag. And the Red Devils eventually terminated his contract last month.
The Portuguese striker’s departure has left a massive void in the squad, and Erik ten Hag has been looking to add at least one attack-minded player in January. Manchester United overspent their transfer budget in the summer and might have to settle for a lesser transfer kitty unless they offload some players to raise some funds.
Goncalo Ramos replaced Ronaldo in the starting lineup for Portugal against Switzerland in the Round of 16 and netted a hattrick to ease their way into the quarter-finals. But he failed to produce similar magic in the Last Eight as Portugal crashed out from the World Cup following a slender defeat at the hands of Morocco.
Ramos is the latest entrant on the list which also includes PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo and AC Milan wide man Rafael Leao. Budget constraints will play a major role here, and with the Glazers also eager to sell Manchester United, it remains to be seen whether they are ready to inject more funds into this project anymore.
Ramos was believed to be a cheaper option in the summer as he had a price tag of around €20 million. But his recent theatrics could help Benfica to get a good value of him. Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix has also been offered to the Red Devils. But Manchester United will need to put up a massive financial proposition which could touch the €100 million mark.
Gakpo’s World Cup display also has resulted in his market price soaring. So Ramos could be the alternative available in the market currently. His €120 million release clause should not be a problem as Benfica would lower their asking price for the 21-year-old if sufficient arrangements are in place.
