Manchester United will face stiff competition from Bayern Munich in order to sign Benfica prodigy Goncalo Ramos.
The perennial Bundesliga champions have reportedly set aside €100 million for a new striker as they look for a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
Despite frantically searching the market for a household No9 following the Pole’s move to Barcelona last summer, the Bavarians have come up empty-handed so far.
They will, however, go all-out when the transfer window opens, with new manager Thomas Tuchel expected to stamp his mark on the squad he inherited from Julian Nagelsmann this month.
Ramos is one of several potential targets Bayern could pursue. He is increasingly likely to leave Benfica at the end of the season, having attracted a slew of high-profile suitors from across Europe.
Following his remarkable scoring exploits with Portugal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup last December, the 21-year-old has emerged as one of Europe’s most in-demand young players.
His incredible 25 goals and 11 assists in 38 competitive appearances for Benfica in 2022/23 has only strengthened the club’s bargaining position ahead of a potential bidding war.
Manchester United scouts were reportedly watching Ramos live during the Eagles’ 2-1 home defeat to arch-rivals Porto last weekend, as Erik ten Hag hopes to sign a top-class goal-getter in the summer.
Following the failure of United’s experiment with Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst, the Red Devils are looking for a more long-term option to lead the line next season.
Negotiations with the runaway leaders of the Primeira Liga are never easy, given their well-documented ability to sell their prized assets for high prices.
If that wasn’t enough to make Manchester United nervous, the addition of Bayern Munich to the race to sign Ramos should do the trick, especially if they choose to pursue the Portuguese starlet as their top target.
Ten Hag has already devised a backup plan in the form of Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez, who has a €20 million release clause in his contract.
