BREAKING NEWS: Man United officials jet in to Portugal as agreement set to be reached with £76m attacker today – Michael Carrick first signing sealed
Manchester United have sent an official to Portugal to discuss a potential move for Porto ace William Gomes, according to a report, though we can explain why a Serie A move is more likely.
Porto won 28 of their 34 league matches this season to lift the Portuguese title, finishing on 88 points – six ahead of second-placed Sporting CP. Jose Mourinho’s Benfica managed an unbeaten domestic campaign but still only finished third after drawing 11 games.
Brazilian right winger Gomes managed 13 goals and two assists in 46 appearances for Porto across all competitions, helping the club win their first league title since 2022.
Spanish outlet AS claim the race to sign Gomes is heating up, with Man Utd battling clubs such as Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Roma for his signature.
Gomes is only 20 years old but was ‘key’ to Porto’s triumph, and his status as one of Portugal’s ‘brightest prospects’ has seen top clubs converge on a possible deal.
The report claims Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle and Roma have all sent club representatives to ‘visit northern Portugal’ and ‘enquire about his availability’.
There is ‘plenty of interest’, though ‘no offers’ have been made just yet.
Atleti, meanwhile, have placed Gomes high on their winger shortlist, as he is ‘one of their favoured options’.
However, the transfer appears difficult this summer as Porto would rather sell other stars such as Victor Froholdt and Pepe to raise funds, keeping Gomes for an extra year.
Porto will hold out for his full €80m (£69m) release clause in the summer, which might put the likes of Man Utd, Arsenal and Atleti off.
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Man Utd more likely to sign Rafael Leao
It might be prudent for interested clubs to wait a year and enter talks for Gomes in summer 2027, when Porto are more open to a sale.
While Gomes has seemingly impressed United scouts, the fact he is a right winger means Michael Carrick’s side are highly likely to prioritise other attackers.
They need a left winger far more urgently, with AC Milan’s Rafael Leao a concrete option.
Leao has discussed United in a new interview, heightening speculation he might move to Old Trafford.
The Portuguese’s valuation has dropped to €50m (£43m), putting him into United’s price bracket.
