Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United scouting Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes and could use loanee Andreas Pereira in a transfer deal
According to Brazilian publication Coluna do Fla (h/t The Sun), Manchester United are scouting Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes for a potential move in the summer, and intend to use Andreas Pereira as a make-shift in the transfer deal.
The defensive midfielder has impressed in Brazil this season, churning out consistent performances in the middle of the pitch alongside Pereira, with the United loanee spending the entire 2021/22 campaign on loan at Flamengo.
With midfield an area that the Red Devils are looking to improve ahead of the new season, Gomes has been earmarked as a potential target to bolster our midfield options in the squad. The Mengão star can also play at centre-back, which is another area that needs strengthening in the summer.
Signing Gomes therefore could solve a couple of the issues that United face at the moment, and at 21, the player is only sure to get better with each season if given the right training and guidance, which the Manchester side can offer.
Pereira advantage for United
It may not be easy to prise Gomes away from Flamengo, but Man United are apparently willing to pay around £32m for the Brazilian starlet. The Red Devils may have deep pockets to afford the amount, but the fact that it costs so much for a young player who does not have any major league experience is sure to make some fans reconsider a move for him.
Although what works to their advantage is that Flamengo are looking to complete a deal for Pereira soon and make his move permanent at the end of the season. Perhaps United could offer their loanee in exchange for a knocked-down fee for Gomes– or so it has been suggested.
Pereira clearly has no future at United and has seemingly found a new place to call home in Maracana where he is a part of Paulo Sousa’s first-team set-up.
Apart from dealing with a weak midfield this season, the Manchester side also faces the possibility of losing Paul Pogba for free in the summer, with the Frenchman’s contract expiring at the end of the campaign.
If we lose Pogba, we are left with Fred, Scott McTominay, and Nemanja Matic as our midfield enforcers. However, neither Fred nor McTominay have proven that they can be consistent in their displays on the pitch over a whole season, while Matic turns 34 in August this year – throwing questions marks about his mobility and longevity at the club.
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With Gomes commanding a high price tag for his services, in spite of having Pereira to knock off the price a bit, perhaps we should look forward to utilising academy star James Garner next season. The loanee is currently winning plaudits at Nottingham Forest in the Championship but is expected to return to his parent club in the summer.
It would save us a lot of money in transfer fees for a new player, while also giving us the option of utilising someone who has played in England and knows what to expect from the game in the country. Only time will tell if the club will go after Gomes in the summer, or find other alternatives for the midfield.
