Manchester United were very close to acquiring the services of 23-year-old Palmeiras utility man Gabriel Menino during the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Premier League Brasil, Manchester United were keen on having Gabriel Menino in their ranks for the 2023-24 season. The Red Devils even managed to strike a deal with Palmeiras for his services. But, the transfer collapsed because of internal issues at the Manchester-based club.
Menino has come up the ranks at Palmeiras. He made it to their first team back in the winter of 2020 and has been a regular at the club ever since. However, things haven’t been going well for the 23-year-old of late and he hasn’t had enough first-team minutes of late.
But, things could have been much different as he was on the verge of joining Manchester United. Erik ten Hag wanted to implement a style of play where the full-backs would move into a more central role rather than making overlapping runs.
He wanted to use his winger to take on the opposition full-backs and overload the midfield using his full-backs. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot are exceptional right-backs but Ten Hag was not sure if they could deliver in such a system. As a result, he wanted to sign Menino from Plameiras.
The 23-year-old might be a central midfielder but he can also feature as a right-back. And, that is why he would have been a perfect fit for the Red Devils. People at the club along with the Dutch manager’s technical team had given the green light to the move.
United had managed to strike a deal worth £8 million for his services. But, they couldn’t complete the move because of what was going on behind the scenes at the Manchester-based club.
The Red Devils were negotiating a new contract with David de Gea but they couldn’t manage to strike a deal with him. And, had to look for a new number one. They were in search of a new striker and Luke Shaw suffered a long-term injury.
There was a lot going on for them with regard to transfers. And, on top of that, the allegations against Antony and the conflict involving the manager and Jadon Sancho didn’t help their cause. The Red Devils were busy sorting these situations out and the transfer of Menino took a back seat.
In the end, the Red Devils failed to land him at the club. And, given his current form, they are unlikely to make a move for his services in the winter.
