Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been given a brilliant opportunity to sign one of his main striker targets after it emerged the player is ‘very disappointed’ with his current side.
Man Utd let Cristiano Ronaldo go earlier this season by mutually terminating his contract following his extraordinary interview in which he criticised almost everyone involved with the club. This left Ten Hag searching for a striker replacement as Anthony Martial cannot be relied upon due to injury and Marcus Rashford prefers to play at left wing.
The Red Devils ended up bringing in Wout Weghorst on loan from Burnley. The transfer raised some eyebrows as Weghorst only managed two goals in 20 appearances for Burnley last season. However, he has proven he can score goals in the past by putting up good numbers for the likes of Wolfsburg and AZ Alkmaar.
Weghorst has done well at Man Utd so far. While he has only scored twice, he has shown the determination and hard-working nature that Ten Hag wants from his main centre-forward.
Despite this, it is clear that Man Utd need a far more prolific attacker to lead their forward line if they are to catch up with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City in future.
Man Utd are keeping tabs on top strikers such as Harry Kane of Tottenham and Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen. But either of those players would cost over £100million as they are incredibly highly rated by their current clubs.
One alternative option is Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos. He has proven himself to be too good for the Portuguese top flight, having scored 16 goals in just 21 games in the competition. He has added further goals in the Champions League and the Portuguese league cup, taking his total tally to 24 strikes from 36 outings.
Ramos clearly has the ability to compete at a higher level and he could be given that opportunity through Man Utd.
Man Utd given transfer boost after discussions begin
On March 9, it emerged that Man Utd had held several rounds of talks with Ramos’ agent Jorge Mendes over a potential transfer.
Sport Witness have now provided an update on the situation, while citing Portuguese newspaper Record. It is claimed that Ramos is ‘very disappointed’ with Benfica as they have yet to offer him a new contract.
The Primeira Liga side promised to hand him fresh terms last year but have not yet done so. The 21-year-old ‘cannot understand’ why the new contract is taking so long when he has cemented himself as one of Benfica’s most important players.
Ramos’ frustration at Benfica has given Ten Hag and Man Utd a great chance to snap him up. The Carabao Cup winners are ‘starting to make calculations’ over his prospective move to Old Trafford.
While Benfica may struggle to meet the player’s wage demands, that will not be a problem for Man Utd. The main thing Man Utd must focus on now is agreeing a transfer fee with Benfica.
Ramos’ release clause is rumoured to be over £100m. However, there is good news for Man Utd as Benfica are willing to sell him for around £70m.
The Portugal international is clearly not at the same level as Kane or Osimhen. It may take him longer to adjust to Man Utd as a result.
However, he has massive potential and could end up being one of the best strikers in the Premier League in a few years’ time. Ten Hag would certainly fancy his chances of getting the best out of the three-goal World Cup star.
