Manchester United’s hunt for a striker this summer could factor in Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos.
Harry Kane is not the only striker on Manchester United’s shortlist this summer. The MEN has reported Goncalo Ramos is on United’s radar.
Ramos starred at the World Cup for Portugal when he struck a hat-trick, and added a few million to his price tag in the process.
But there may be some good news for United’s chances, with Ramos’ form slowing down at this back end of the season.
Goncalo Ramos slows down
Goncalo Ramos has scored 25 goals for Benfica this season, showing that his World Cup heroics were no flash in the pan.
However, his goalscoring exploits have slowed down over the past month. He has not scored in his past five games in all competitions.
Ramos has just one goal in his last eight games. As Portuguese newspaper A Bola reports, “the gunpowder has dried up.”
This is the leanest stretch of Ramos’ excellent season, and heading towards the transfer window, in my opinion, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
A slow down in Ramos’ productivity will calm some of the hype around him, and potentially weaken Benfica’s case to charge a truly excessive fee for his signature.
Correio de Manha reported earlier this year that Benfica would demand a £103 million fee for his signature, his release clause.
When The Sun linked United to Ramos earlier in the season, his projected fee was reported to be around £25 million.
His slow down in form may prompt a meeting in the middle. At 21, Ramos is still enjoying a terrific season with 25 goals in total. But at one point it was looking like a stratospheric one where he would score 35 to 40 goals.
Harry Kane might be a sure-fire bet, but as Nemanja Vidic pointed out, United need to find a striker for the next seven or eight years, not just the next two or three. Ramos might be the answer.
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