Manchester United have been tipped to launch an attack for one of their emerging targets this summer, even if Bruno Fernandes stays at the club.
Manchester United’s transfer plans are currently up in the air after they failed to qualify for the Champions League for the forthcoming 2025/26 campaign.
The Europa League final loss against Tottenham last month has already seen United miss out on signing striker Liam Delap, who is destined for Chelsea.
Their position in the race for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo may also have weakened amid Newcastle’s ability to offer him a place in the star-studded competition.
However, Rúben Amorim has been firm in his stance that the club had prepared two routes for the summer window and had created a plan for what to do without Champions League qualification, although new rumours surrounding Bruno Fernandes’ future have complicated matters further.
United’s Fernandes replacement could join even if the captain stays
According to Portuguese reports from earlier this week, United have landed on Sporting CP star Pedro Gonçalves as a possible option to replace Fernandes amid intense interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
Fernandes has an offer of a major contract worth around £700,000 a week, with the Middle Eastern club open to offering United as much as £100 million for their club captain. However, they will pull the plug if the contract is not accepted early next week.
Gonçalves has become Sporting’s primary creative force over the last year and is set to move to a European top-five league this summer, with his £67 million release clause available to be triggered.
However, as mentioned by the Portuguese outlet A Bola, United are considering making a move for the 26-year-old even if Fernandes chooses to stay at United this summer.
Gonçalves can be United’s Garnacho upgrade
Although Fernandes is the possible exit taking up all the inches in sports columns across the world, another player who looks even more likely to leave in the coming months is Alejandro Garnacho, who Amorim has informed is free to find a new club this summer.
With the 20-year-old reportedly valued at around £60 million, United will likely want to utilise these funds to revamp their attacking line, and Gonçalves could be the ideal player to replace Garnacho under the head coach.
The 40-year-old has often used the Argentinian winger on the left flank but has also shown a willingness to deploy him on the right in the absence of Amad.
Gonçalves is very similar. Despite being predominantly a left-sided player for Sporting, he has also played as both a right-sided midfielder and in the centre of the park, giving him the same versatile traits as Garnacho.
However, in the goalscoring department, he could become an upgrade. Garnacho tends to unleash a wild variation of shots when he plays, the majority of which he fires wide of the goal, but Gonçalves has a much more “surgical” precision to his shot-taking, which would help United up their goalscoring output next season.
As well, being 26, Gonçalves is also a more mature player, with United needing a much more experienced number of heads in their attacking line.
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