Transfer News: Manchester United to battle Premier League rivals for Benfica ace Darwin Nunez
According to the Portuguese publication Record (h/t Daily Star), Manchester United are prepared to battle several Premier League clubs for Benfica sensation Darwin Nunez. He has become one of the most sought after strikers in Europe following his impressive performances this season.
The 22-year-old Uruguayan has played 17 matches this season and has scored 11 goals with two assists to add to it. Similarly, he had a fantastic campaign before this where he featured in 44 games while scoring 14 times and assisting 12 in the process. The high interest in him is justified for his performances during this stint.
Nunez has a release clause of £128million in his contract, but the amount does not seem feasible even considering his quality. Man United would face another obstacle in the form of the Portuguese club unwilling to let him leave in the January transfer window.
Even with the transfer stance, the Red Devils have no intentions to stop pursuing their target. English clubs like Newcastle United, Manchester City and West Ham United are on the same page and pose heavy competition to the Red Devils. Newcastle and Ralf Rangnick’s side sent scouts to assess the player on Friday when his club faced Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon.
Exciting transfer target?
We could require a striker like him, with his fellow compatriot Edinson Cavani becoming a free agent at the end of this season, as per Tuttosport (h/t Daily Star). Cavani is also looking at options elsewhere, with Juventus interested in his services and the Benfica forward could be what we need for the long term.
However, any move would have to be approved by Rangnick and/or our board. That could explain the scouts’ presence at Derby de Lisboa to conjure up a report that would then be assessed by our club officials, which hopefully also includes Rangnick. It wouldn’t be fair for us to bring in any players this season without the German’s approval considering he is our new manager for the time being.
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Nunez is still young. At 22, he has shown great maturity and confidence to become one of the Eagles’ best players in this short time. His performance against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League further underlines the high ceiling he possesses.
But we must take all the factors into account before going through with a deal. Any deal that harms our financial well-being or impedes the development of youngsters such as Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, and Amad Diallo should also be considered. But his versatility to also be able to slot down the left-hand side or behind a number 9 makes him an exciting prospect that could fit in a few systems we try out at Old Trafford going forward.
