Bharath Rammr
Manchester United have experienced extraordinary successes, like Cristiano Ronaldo, and flops, like Bebe, when it comes to signing players from the Portuguese league. Yet, it is extremely hard to ignore the league given the talent pools there. One of the bright young prospects in the Portuguese league at the moment is Sporting Lisbon winger Gelson Martins. Monitored heavily by the best clubs in world football, Martins is also closely watched by Manchester United, according to Mirror. The club is reportedly considering the youngster as a summer signing if negotiations progress well.
One of the big stumbling blocks towards a potentially would be the £50 million release clause in the player’s contract. It is highly unlikely that any club would be prepared to pay this figure for a youngster with limited experience at the top level. Sporting Lisbon and other top Portuguese clubs depend heavily on the income received from the sale of players. Despite the good relationship Manchester United have with Sporting Lisbon from past transfers, it is highly unlikely that they will settle for anything less than £30 million.
So far, Martins has been appearing like the real deal and has already managed to score twice this season. Despite the long list of forward names who have strengthened Manchester United in the last 24 months, the club’s attack still looks weak and lacks any cohesion. At 21 years of age, Martins may no longer be the speculator teenager signing for United. He may be ready to jump straight into the first-team. After appearing in 29 games last season, Martins scored four goals. His remarkable jump in terms of goal scoring has only increased transfer rumours as the January window approaches.
Barcelona are to be one of the main competitors for United in the race to sign Martins. After having come through the youth academy, Martins is a different sort of talent for the Portuguese outfit. Many Portuguese clubs specialise in bringing young native players at a very young age only to sell them on for a healthy profit. Over the course of next few months, one can be sure that Manchester United scouts will be watching the 21-year-old in order to assess his real worth.
Martins last scored in the 3-0 win for Sporting Lisbon against Moreirense. A player who can provide explosive pace to the team, he would fit perfectly into the counter-attacking style of football employed by Jose Mourinho. He also has the technical brilliance to survive in a harsh league like the Premier League.
