Manchester United
Man Utd most interested in signing Vitinha
Manchester United are most interested in signing Porto midfielder Vitinha this summer, Portuguese outlet Record claims.
The Red Devils are actively in the pursuit of a new midfielder, and it has been frequently mentioned that Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong is the number one target.
The Netherlands international has recently given the go-ahead for the transfer, but United are still far apart from negotiating a suitable transfer fee with the Blaugrana.
Amidst this, Record report that Vitinha is currently on the verge of leaving Porto with a top Premier League club set to trigger the £35m release clause on his contract.
The publication does not reveal the identity of the English outfit, but particularly mention that United are ‘most interested’ in signing the former Wolves loanee.
Our view:
Vitinha previously had a season-long loan at Wolves in 2020/21. He hardly made an impact for them with just one goal and one assist from 799 minutes of first-team action.
However, he managed to redeem himself on his return to Porto. He was a key player in the centre of the park for the Primeira Liga giants, who won a domestic double.
The 22-year-old bagged four goals and five assists from 47 outings. He predominantly operated from central midfield, but also impressed from the number six position.
He averaged 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per league game and also caught the eye with his distribution. He completed 90 per cent of his passes over the campaign.
His statistics were promising, but the Red Devils currently need an experienced player, who can make an instant impact under new manager Erik ten Hag next season.
De Jong perfectly fits the bill, and there are no surprises that United have not given up on him.
If United make an approach for Vitinha, he could be considered as one for the future rather than being integrated into the starting line-up from the beginning.