Manchester United are reportedly very interested in signing a Portuguese player whom Rúben Amorim admires amid a £13 million price drop.
Manchester United are interested in recruiting across all areas of the pitch this summer as a squad revolution begins under Rúben Amorim.
The club have already secured the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a £62.5 million fee, while they are also close to securing Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford for a similar amount.
Meanwhile, Amorim is also keen to add a new striker to his front line and a midfielder to play alongside Bruno Fernandes, with Casemiro ageing and Manuel Ugarte failing to impress.
However, there are also continued rumours surrounding the potential signing of a new goalkeeper should the club receive a sufficient offer for André Onana.
United very interested in Porto’s Costa
Amid the possibility of Onana leaving, even if the player’s initial desire is to stay, United are assessing alternative options for the shot-stopper position.
Although United have been closely linked with Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez in the last few weeks, it is thought that much of this speculation was agent-driven, and that United are not considering a move for the Argentina international.
As for who Amorim would like to replace Onana if it were needed, it was reported earlier this month by the Portuguese journalist Sebastião Sousa-Pinto that Amorim’s favoured choice for the position is FC Porto’s Diogo Costa.
Furthermore, Portuguese outlet A Bola have stated that the 25-year-old Portugal international is expected to leave Estádio do Dragão this summer, and favours a move to the Premier League.
United are said to be “very interested” in the player alongside Manchester City, with the latter in the market for a new goalkeeper if Ederson were to leave.
It is also claimed that despite the player having a £64 million release clause in his contract, he will be available for £14 million less, with Porto willing to let him leave for around £51 million.
United cannot afford to be spending £51m on a goalkeeper
It is a well-accepted fact that Onana’s performances since joining United in 2023 have been far too inconsistent to warrant a secure place at United, but given the other priorities needed at Old Trafford, replacing him can wait.
United are short of cash this summer, and securing a new midfielder and starting striker are much more immediate priorities. Amorim is known to have a good working relationship with Onana, as exclusively revealed by UtdDistrict last month.
Amorim is thought to be happy to continue with Onana for at least another season as he sees him as a leader within the dressing room. If the Cameroon international were to stay, this would give United significant funding to spend elsewhere.
Should United receive a significant offer for Onana in the next few months, the club’s plans could change, but spending £51 million on Costa while there is a desperate need for a centre-forward and a new midfielder could come back to haunt United.
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