Benfica ready to sell £26k-p/w star who Man Utd scout nearly every week

Manchester United may be about to strike lucky after it emerged that one of their long-term targets is set to be sold this summer....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE

United need change after Palace humiliation

A heavy 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace underlined Manchester United’s need for change on and off the pitch this summer.

Manager Erik ten Hag seems a dead man walking despite vowing to fight on, while there are going to have to be major changes to the playing staff too. As it stands, the Red Devils sit 8th in the Premier League and could end the season without any European football to look forward to next season, after finishing bottom of their Champions League group this time around.

Sofyan Amrabat’s loan will not be made permanent, with the Moroccan having proved a disaster at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Anthony Martial, Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane are all out of contract in the summer and will likely be allowed to leave, which will free up significant wages.
Casemiro Manchester United vs Crystal Palace.

The Manchester Evening News claim that as many as 21 players could leave the club this summer in a major clear out, and while this may be optimistic it seems certain that there will be change in defence.

They have been linked with the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Jean-Clair Todibo, but now a new target may have fallen into their lap.

Benfica star set to leave

That comes courtesy of Portuguese outlet Record, who report that Benfica are gearing up for another big sale this summer.

The newspaper [via Sport Witness] claim that the Lions are “planning a significant sale”, and have decided that Antonio Silva will be the player sacrificed to continue their transfer policy, having waved goodbye to the likes of Darwin Nunez, Enzo Fernandez and Goncalo Ramos in recent transfer windows.

There has been significant speculation over Joao Neves, but Benfica are keen to balance their books with the sale of defender Silva instead, who is liked by plenty of Europe’s top clubs.

Manchester United are named as one of the chief interested parties, with “United having officials watch almost every Benfica match” to keep an eye on the youngster. Alongside the Red Devils, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG are all also named as those keen on the 20-year-old, who still has three years left to run on his £26k-per week contract in Portugal’s second city.

His deal has a 100m euro release clause (£86m) but it is unlikely that Benfica will demand that amount to part ways with him, though it is added that they are yet to set a price tag on the Portuguese starlet. Still just 20 and with a wealth of experience under his belt, Silva seems destined for the very top. But he would come at a hefty price.