Manchester United must beat Chelsea to the signing of Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos during this summer’s transfer window.
The Red Devils are firm admirers of the Portugal international and it was recently reported that contact has already been made with his agent Jorge Mendes over a summer transfer.
However, they are not alone in the player’s pursuit and Correio da Manha (page 26) claim today that Chelsea tried to sign Ramos as part of their negotiations for Enzo Fernandez.
While the Blues received a firm refusal from the Lisbon heavyweights, they reportedly promise to return for the highly-rated striker, who could be sold for €100 million this summer.
In our opinion, United must beat their Premier League rivals in the race to sign the 21-year-old.
Ramos could be a world-class striker in future
Ramos has had an exceptional campaign for Benfica, bagging 19 goals and eight assists from 31 outings.
The youngster was also brilliant at the World Cup. He started the round of 16 clash against Switzerland ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and scored a fantastic hat-trick while also grabbing an assist.
Hence, his reputation has been greatly enhanced. Chelsea prised away World Cup winner Fernandez from Benfica last month, but United must not let them secure the services of Ramos this summer.
Ramos has the hallmarks of being a world-class striker. Aside from his goalscoring, he has also impressed with his positioning, ability to win regular duels and knack of making key passes.
He has all the attributes to succeed in the Premier League. United are likely to pursue a marquee striker for next season and Ramos would be perfect as he is only 21 and has vast room for improvement.
For a club of United’s calibre, they should easily afford the asking price and could have a big advantage over Chelsea in Ramos’ pursuit as they could be playing Champions League football next term.
United are currently eight points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle, who have a game in hand. On the contrary, Chelsea are 11 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, having played a game less.
Hence, the Red Devils are in pole position to feature in Europe’s elite club competition and it could be a genuine deciding factor in convincing Ramos to make the move to Old Trafford this summer.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
