Man Utd in talks over deal to sign Goncalo Ramos

Manchester United have opened talks with the agent of Goncalo Ramos and are willing to pay up to £25m to get a deal agreed with Benfica, according to The Sun.

Erik ten Hag splashed out over £200m during the summer transfer window to bring in five major signings as he revamped the squad he inherited from former interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

However, the Dutch coach is already making plans ahead of the winter window and is seemingly keen to strengthen his attacking options. With Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial currently injured, Man Utd are left with only 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo to choose from up front while ten Hag also has limited options out wide.

The lack of depth means the Manchester giants are eyeing a new forward in January but The Sun says ten Hag won’t have a huge budget available to spend having overspent during the summer.

The newspaper says Manchester United have now identified Ramos as a prime target after his impressive start to the new season and have already opened talks with the players representatives to discuss a possible move to Old Trafford.

According to The Sun, Ramos has a release clause worth £100m but Benfica are ready to cash-in at around £25m and United are willing to pay up to that figure to get a deal done.

Impressive

The 21-year-old has scored eight goals in 12 appearances in all competitions so far this season, including a superb hat-trick in the Champions League group stage game against Midtjylland.

Ramos also scored against Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League quarter-finals last season and has netted 14 times in 18 games for the Portuguese Under-21’s having previously represented his country at various youth levels.

His progress has seemingly caught the attention of Manchester United scouts, however, the Premier League giants aren’t the only club showing an interest. The Sun claims that Newcastle were also link in the summer while Bayern Munich have been tracking the forward’s situation so there could be stiff competition for his signature.

Ramos came through the youth ranks at Benfica after joining the club as a child and has developed into one of the most exciting young talents in Portuguese football.

He’s predominantly played as a centre-forward at Benfica this season but he can also play as a second striker or even on the wing, so he’d give ten Hag another top class option in the final third if he was to join United in January.