Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim appears to be determined to sign Francisco Trincao this summer.
In November, The Peoples Person made mention of Amorim’s interest in Trincao, who played under the Portuguese manager at Sporting CP.
A crucial player in Sporting’s league title triumph last season, Trincao has continued to impress this season. In January, it was reported that Man United’s interest in him intensified, with the Portuguese winger being viewed as a transfer priority at Old Trafford.
Now, United’s links to Trincao appear to remain solid, with the club expected to make a move for him this summer.
“Francisco Trincão is the Sporting player who has played the most minutes this season and is also one of the players who has attracted the most attention in Europe. His Manchester rivals hold him in high regard, especially because the two main people responsible for his signing and his success at Alvalade, Ruben Amorim and Hugo Viana, are now in that English city, the coach at United and the sporting director at City,” Portugal’s A Bola reported.
As such, it appears that United may face competition from Manchester City to secure Trincao’s signature.
Still, both teams seem set to face resistance from Sporting, with the report claiming that the Liga Portugal club are looking to renew his contract, having already approached him.
“Ruben Amorim moved to United on November 11th and has not had an easy time of it, with the team in 14th place in the Premier League, he needs to make a living and at the same time he is doing the math for the new season, in which he will need reinforcements. And Trincão is referenced,” the article concluded.
Having recently left Sporting, Hugo Viana has since been appointed the Sporting Director of Man City. Of course, he and Amorim have a prior relationship, with the pair working together at Sporting before Amorim left for United in November last year. Clearly, with both Amorim and Viana vying for Trincao, the winger is a proven talent who could be a major asset for United.
What makes Trincao all the more appealing is how few options United have on the wing at present.
With Amad Diallo sidelined through injury and both Antony and Marcus Rashford out on loan, Amorim has had to make do with alternative options, starting Joshua Zirkzee and Christian Eriksen alongside Rasmus Hojlund in his front three in yesterday’s crushing FA Cup loss to Fulham.
What’s particularly appealing about Trincao is his finishing and playmaking ability. In 23 Liga Portugal matches (all starts), Trincao has scored eight goals and bagged 10 assists. (Sofascore)
This far exceeds Alejandro Garnacho’s three goals and one assist in 26 Premier League matches, along with Amad’s six goals and six assists in 22 league outings.
Although a transfer race against City could force United to fork out a hefty fee for Trincao, signing a proven talent who Amorim has personally experienced plenty of success with could be well worth the price.
Featured image Gualter Fatia via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
