Manchester United
Premier League • England
Bruno Fernandes backs striker Man Utd have reached £104m agreement on to take Premier League by storm
A lethal striker Man Utd have ‘agreed internally’ to sign this summer has been backed to rip up the Premier League by Bruno Fernandes.
Man Utd’s top priority this summer is signing an elite-level centre-forward. To that end, the Manchester Evening News declared Tottenham’s Harry Kane to be the preferred choice of Erik ten Hag. Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is understood to be the next best option for the club.
However, neither player will be easy to sign, with Tottenham reluctant in the extreme to sell to a domestic rival.
Kane’s future largely hinges on whether he signs a new contract in north London. His current deal expires at the end of next season and talks over a new deal will take place in short order.
Osimhen, meanwhile, may actually be the more expensive of the two given his much younger age. At 24, Osimhen could conceivably be United’s No 1 striker for the better part of the next decade. Kane will turn 30 in July and as such, is viewed as more of a short-term fix.
In the event neither player can be prised out of their current clubs, Portuguese outlet A Bola claimed Goncalo Ramos is the player Man Utd will turn to.
Ramos has been confirmed as being on Man Utd’s secondary list of striker targets by numerous outlets, such as the MEN.
A Bola claimed United have ‘agreed internally’ they’ll move for Ramos if Kane and Osimhen elude them. The Benfica and Portugal ace, 21, holds a release clause in his current contract worth €120m (approx. £104m).
The Mirror subsequently claimed Man Utd are ‘preparing to step up’ their pursuit of Ramos. The newspaper also stated United would seek to explore whether a deal can be struck for a sum below the release clause. The £70m-£100m price range was cited in the piece.
Now, speaking to Portuguese television station Sport TV, United ace Bruno Fernandes has thrown his backing behind a move for his fellow countryman.
Goncalo Ramos a perfect for for Ten Hag and Premier League?
In quotes carried by A Bola, Fernandes said: “Gonçalo has all the conditions to play in the Premier League, he is very intense, presses very well and is very good inside the area.
“He surprised me [with Portugal], not only me but the rest of my teammates. He’s physically strong, he’s still young and he’s going to get better.
“If he continues to work as he has been doing, I think he has the potential to be one of the best strikers in the world, but he needs to go to a more competitive league to prove it.”
Ramos hit the headlines during the world cup when scoring a hattrick in Portugal’s 6-1 rout of Switzerland at the Round of 16 stage.
The clinical frontman has racked up an impressive 27 goals and 17 assists at club level for Benfica this season to ensure they have not missed Darwin Nunez one bit.
Ramos’ goals helped fire Benfica to the Primeira Liga title and also helped the club make it to the quarter-final stage of the Champions League.
Fernandes went on to suggest Ramos has “all the qualities” to thrive in the EPL and was keen to stress he’d love to see him line up at Old Trafford.
Fernandes added: “Here, the best always come in handy, be it Gonçalo or another player.
“I think he has all the qualities to play in the Premier League, and when I say Premier League I also mean Manchester United.
“I think he could become a great reference in the coming years, but it’s still not in my hands to be sports director. When I am, I will make those decisions.”
TRANSFER GOSSIP: Ten Hag to personally persuade dynamic midfielder to choose Man Utd; West Ham become favourites for £40m ace