Transfer Gossip: Man Utd make contact for £25m striker thriving as successor to big rival buy; Leeds target making key change for move

Manchester United have set their sights on in-form striker Goncalo Ramos, who has already matched his goal tally from last season, while someone they and Leeds both admire is preparing for a move next year – all in Tuesday’s transfer gossip.

GONCALO RAMOS ON MAN UTD RADAR

Manchester United have made contact with the representatives of Goncalo Ramos ahead of a potential January bid to Benfica, according to reports.

After a high-spending summer, there are still some areas of the Manchester United squad that could do with strengthening. Most notably, there is a need for another centre-forward to provide competition.

Erik ten Hag can choose players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford in that position at present. But perhaps it would be preferable to add another player into the mix.

After all, there have been some injury issues in the department. What’s more, Martial and Rashford have played out wide as well, so a more natural centre-forward could be beneficial.

With that in mind, a report in The Sun has revealed that Manchester United are interested in Benfica goal-getter, Goncalo Ramos.

The 21-year-old has stepped up this season after Benfica’s sale of Darwin Nunez to Liverpool. After scoring eight goals from 46 games last season, Ramos has already matched the same tally from just 12 appearances this term.

He has benefitted by playing as the main centre-forward in their post-Nunez lineup. When the Uruguay international was still at the club, Ramos would often play just off him.

Now, as the main man up top, the number 88 has been excelling.

Newcastle, Bayern also eye Goncalo Ramos

In the process – and after links with Newcastle in the summer – he has caught the eyes of Manchester United officials.

In fact, the report from The Sun claims that Ramos’ representatives have already heard from Manchester United about their interest.

The Red Devils would be willing to pay the £25million asking price for Ramos, whose release clause is worth four times that.

Ramos, a Portugal under-21 international with 14 goals from 18 caps at that level, is under contract with Benfica until 2026. An academy graduate of the Lisbon-based club, he has totalled 22 goals in 71 games for them so far.

His time with them could be up in the near future, though. As well as Manchester United, Bayern Munich are also keeping a close eye on Ramos’ development.

Therefore, it will be interesting to see how he gets on in front of those admirers in the coming months.

LEEDS TARGET GAKPO CHANGING AGENTS

Another Manchester United target, Cody Gakpo, is looking to change agents to force a Premier League move, meanwhile.

Gakpo has also been closely linked with Leeds United, whose sporting director Victor Orta flew to the Netherlands to negotiate with PSV Eindhoven in the summer without success.

But there have already been consequences after the closure of the transfer window. For example, PSV’s sporting director John de Jong has left the club. There were claims it was because of a failure to cash in on Gakpo, although others have denied it.

Soon, there could be another personnel change that could have an impact on Gakpo’s hopes of joining Leeds or Man Utd.

According to Football Insider, the winger is hoping to change his agent by the end of the year. He would like to make a transfer in 2023, which he is not going to entrust current representatives SEG with.

Everton and Southampton have also been linked with the Dutch star.

SUAREZ ON THE MOVE AFTER WORLD CUP

Luis Suarez will be on the lookout for a new club in January, it has been confirmed.

Suarez recently returned to Nacional in his native Uruguay on a short-term contract after leaving Atletico Madrid.

But his time with them will only last until the end of their season, which will conclude before the winter World Cup.

“When the Uruguayan Championship ends, Suarez will leave; that’s how we arranged his deal,” Nacional president Jose Fuentes has said.

“It’s what we agreed and he made a huge effort to come here.

“I say this to avoid generating fan expectations. Suarez is leaving. We’ve asked him, and he answered the same thing as before.”

It remains to be seen where the former Liverpool striker – who had briefly been linked with Aston Villa before his Nacional switch – will end up.