Bharath Rammr
Manchester United were linked with a move for Benfica midfielder Goncalo Guedes, aside from defender Victor Lindelof, in this January transfer window. There appeared to be a high possibility of the 20-year-old moving to the Premier League club in the next few days, as he reportedly said goodbyes to his teammates. He was also left out of the squad in the previous match, and it only increased the speculation. However, The Guardian has reported that PSG are on the edge of completing the signing of the Portuguese international attacker for €30m today after he arrived in Paris last night.
Jose Mourinho was keen on the Portuguese player and even sent scouts a few months ago. However, PSG have been able to beat the English club. The presence of Champions League football and a significant more money might have been attempting factors behind this move. United may be unbeaten in more than 10 games across all competitions, but they are still struggling in the sixth spot. As it stands, United will be without yet another season of the premier European competition.
Even though PSG have also been struggling in the French league under the management of Unai Emery, the club are not expected to be in this position for long given that there is far less competition in the Ligue One.
Goncalo Guedes has made incredible progress since coming into the Benfica first-team in the summer of 2015. He has scored five goals in 24 appearances across all competitions. His contribution in the 6-2 win over Leixoes does appear to be his last game for the Portuguese club. Manchester United were reportedly ready to pay around £26 million for his transfer, but unfortunately for them PSG came up with a better evaluation.
It now appears that the Red Devils may be on the verge of losing two signings from Benfica in the space of a few weeks. Just before the start of January, United were thought to be very close to a £38 million move for defender Victor Lindelof. However, the move never materialised since Jose Mourinho is more than happy with his current defensive options and would rather spend that sum of money on an attacker.
Unlike Lindelof, Guedes came through the ranks at Benfica. He has made two appearances for the national team since making his debut in 2015. His move to PSG, though, will provide him with much more exposure to start for the national team on a much more regular basis.
