Goncalo Ramos, the breakout hero for Portugal and Benfica at the World Cup, has a reputed release clause of roughly €120 million, and Manchester United has allegedly dispatched scouts to see him play
According to Fabrizio Romano of Transfermarkt (via CaughtOffside), Manchester United have been keeping a close eye on Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos for some time as new manager Erik ten Hag tries to boost the striker department after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.
Since taking over for Darwin Nunez, who departed for Liverpool in the offseason, the 21-year-old has been Benfica’s starting striker and has been quite productive.
While speaking exclusively to Caught Offside via his Substack column, Romano said, “Manchester United are considering many options, we know about Cody Gakpo but there are also others. They are still in internal discussions to decide the best option and then they will proceed. They had their scouts watch Gonçalo Ramos with Benfica many times, but the same happened with other clubs.”
His hot play has been a major factor in Benfica’s undefeated start to the 2022–23 season; he has contributed to 14 goals and six assists in only 21 games across all competitions, with most of his success coming in the Champions League.
Manchester United has taken notice of his development and may have to pay a hefty transfer fee in the future to get him after he performed one of the greatest World Cup individual performances by scoring a hat-trick for Portugal against Switzerland.
The Benfica player capitalized on his starting chance as manager Fernando Santos benched Ronaldo for what he said was a tactical rather than disciplinary reason. He looked the part of a contemporary attacker with outstanding poaching ability, running off the ball and setting up plays with pressing triggers.
Although it’s unfortunate that he was unable to follow up his impressive audition with a performance of his own in the quarterfinals against Morocco, which led to the Portuguese team’s elimination, he has already done enough to draw attention to himself and his abilities.
Since Ronaldo’s departure has left Manchester United without a reliable striker, the club plans to go shopping for one in January. Although PSV Eindhoven striker Cody Gakpo is still a top priority, Ramos is only one of several strikers Manchester United is considering.
Not only is United interested in signing the highly regarded star in January, but so are a number of other clubs. Benfica, however, has no intention of selling their striker in the middle of the season, as they are currently leading the Primeira Liga and have advanced to the round of 16 in the Champions League.
The player’s asking price is said to have increased after a string of outstanding performances for club and country this year. Benfica will use his €120 million buy-out option as a bargaining chip in negotiations for a new, better long-term deal in an effort to deter potential suitors.
Since Ramos is signed with Benfica until June 2026, Manchester United may have to wait until the next summer to make a bid for the young player.
