MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly turned their attention to Valencia’s Andre Gomes after missing out on Benfica star Renato Sanches.
Sanches, 18, looked to be the ideal box-to-box midfielder for United to add to their ranks, but they were beaten to the teenager by Bayern Munich.
The Daily Mail reports: “As a result, the Red Devils have reportedly now ‘turned up the heat’ in their pursuit of Gomes, 22, and will look to negotiate a transfer fee lower than the £51million Los Che are set to demand.
The paper added that “Portugal’s Gomes is represented by agent Jorge Mendes, who also looks after Jose Mourinho, the man hotly tipped to replace Louis van Gaal as United manager in the summer.”
While missing out on Sanches was a huge blow, Gomes could be a good alternative for United who need added strength in the centre of midfield, as Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger are both drawing to the end of their careers.
Gomes is a different type of player to Sanches. He is less a controlling figure at the heart of the midfield and more of an attacking threat going forward, something the Red Devils have lacked since Paul Scholes retired.
But United will need to act swiftly and come up with a remarkable offer as Italian giants Juventus are also interested in Gomes.
It may already be too late for the Old Trafford outfit as Tuesday night’s Premier League loss to West Ham means their chances of finishing in the top four – and thereby qualifying for next season’s Champions League – are very slim.
Failure to compete in Europe’s elite club competition may already have cost United the signature of Sanches and it may very well be the same case with Gomes.
Will United be able to secure Gomes?
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