Manchester United are in a battle with a host of Premier League clubs to sign Sporting CP winger Francisco Trincão, according to Caughtoffside.
The 25-year-old has found his feet in Portugal after an unsuccessful stint in the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers. After impressing on loan, Sporting exercised the option to sign him on a permanent deal, and he has since become one of the most critical players in the squad as they chase their 21st Primeira Liga title.
As per Caughtoffside, United are closely monitoring the winger’s performance in Portugal, where he has netted nine goals and provided 18 assists.
Man United’s move for the Portugal international stems from Ruben Amorim’s plan to bolster his attack. The report claims that the Portuguese manager has requested Trincão’s transfer to Old Trafford in the summer.
Having spent two seasons with him in the Portuguese league, Caughtoffside adds that Amorim is familiar with Trincão’s qualities and sees him as an ideal fit to add creativity to his wide areas next season.
However, the Red Devils face stern competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal as Mikel Arteta is also keen on signing Trincao as the Gunners boss looks to strengthen his attack.
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The duo face further competition as the report adds that Newcastle United, Juventus and Barcelona are eyeing the attacker, while Manchester City’s newly appointed sporting director, Hugo Viana, wants to reunite with the Portuguese at the Etihad.
Reunion
According to the report, the Portuguese giants have set a €40m (£33m) valuation for the winger. With only a year remaining on his current deal, it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will attempt to negotiate a reduced fee—though they risk being outbid by rival clubs.
A clear pattern in United’s transfer strategy under Erik ten Hag was the acquisition of players previously coached by the Dutchman.
Lisandro Martínez and Antony arrived from Ajax in 2022, shortly after Ten Hag’s appointment. That same summer, the club devoted significant energy to a fruitless chase of Frenkie de Jong.
The trend continued the following season, with André Onana—Ten Hag’s former No. 1 at Ajax—joining from Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt, who also played under Ten Hag at Ajax, were signed from Bayern Munich.
That trend looks set to persist under Amorim, with the latest name linked being Trincão—one of his former players.
With Man United in dire need of attacking reinforcements, a move for Trincão indicates the club’s willingness to provide the manager with tactically fitting players.
However, with the likes of Arsenal and Man City also in the race, it’s going to be interesting to see if Man Utd are able to trump their rivals to land Trincão if he returns to England this summer.
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