Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos is a transfer target for Manchester United this summer and Bruno Fernandes has already urged the club to move for his Portugal team-mate
11:57, 16 Jun 2023Updated 12:04, 16 Jun 2023
Bruno Fernandes has urged Manchester United to sign his Portugal team-mate Goncalo Ramos from Benfica this summer.
Mirror Football understands that superagent Jorge Mendes has been given a mandate to sell the striker this summer. Ramos enjoyed somewhat of a breakthrough season for the Lisbon giants this campaign, bagging 27 goals as the de facto replacement for Darwin Nunez.
United boss Erik ten Hag is on red alert to sign a central striker this summer but the club have opted against pursuing a move for Harry Kane as they do not believe Spurs will sell, much less to a direct Premier League rival. That has led to other options being assessed, with Ramos among those who may be an option.
Alongside spearheading a superb campaign for Benfica, including helping them to win the Portuguese league title, Ramos replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal’s starting line-up for the World Cup knockout rounds, bagging a sensational hat-trick in his side’s 6-1 demolition of Switzerland at the Round of 16 stage.
Alongside his goal return, Ramos assisted with a further 12 goals and impressed on the European stage. Benfica topped their Champions League group – which included Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus – before eventually having a superb run ended by Inter in the quarter-finals.
The 21-year-old is a product of Benfica's famed youth system – having joined aged 12 – and could be the latest in a long line of talents from the club to make a big-money move away from Lisbon. United playmaker Fernandes has already urged the Red Devils to sign the striker.
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"I think Goncalo [Ramos] has all the conditions to play in the Premier League," Fernandes told Portuguese channel Sport TV last month, as per Record. "He plays with a lot of intensity, he presses very well and is really good inside the penalty area. He is strong. Obviously, he is still very young and will improve a lot."
Fernandes added: "If he continues to work as he has worked so far, I believe he has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world. He is already close to that level, but he still needs to go to a more competitive league and prove himself. He will go there, something I believe he has all the capabilities to do."
Asked whether the striker could join United this summer, Fernandes added: "Here, the best players will always be valued, be it Goncalo or someone else. I think he has all the qualities to play in the Premier League, and when I say in the Premier League, I also mean Manchester United.
"I think he could become a great reference in years to come. But it is still not in my hands, it is up to the sporting director. When I am in that position, I will make those decisions."
Alongside the difficulties of landing Kane, United view a move for Victor Osimhen as prohibitive due to his price tag. The club are hopeful of signing two strikers this summer, with Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt among United’s targets.