Manchester United have reportedly ‘put an offer of £127m on the table’ for Barcelona star Raphinha as the Red Devils ‘strike a blow to the market’.
Amorim is working closely with newly-promoted Director of Football Jason Wilcox to rebuild an ailing squad which produced the worst season in living memory last term.
The focus is very much on attacking players in the transfer market, with Matheus Cunha already joining the club after the Red Devils triggered his £62.5m release clause to land him from Wolves.
Having been beaten to the signing of Liam Delap – who impressed on his debut for Chelsea on Monday – they’re also scouring the market for a new N0.9, though their pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres appears to have ended after the striker told them where to go.
They’ve had one bid rejected for Bryan Mbeumo of £55m plus a further £10m in add-ons rejected by Brentford, and are considering an improved bid amid competition from Thomas Frank’s Tottenham.
And have now, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Red Devils have made a genuinely unbelievable ‘offer of €150m [£127m] for Raphinha’, having found some loose change down the back of one of their canteen chairs now collecting dust in a warehouse.
‘The figure has surprised even in the Camp Nou offices’ the report admits, ‘where a proposal of such magnitude was not expected by the Brazilian winger’.
No mention of the dire financial straights that Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed would have seen Manchester United go “bust by Christmas” has he not stopped providing lunches for staff though, nor their failure to qualify for European competition next season to further increase their woes, with the report instead stating that ‘the interest of the English team responds to its desire to strike a blow to the market’.
United supposedly ‘see in Raphinha a piece that could make a difference from day one’ and that ‘his experience in the Premier League, after his time at Leeds United, makes his adaptation to the rhythm and demands of English football not unknown’.
The report adds:
‘Although Barça does not contemplate easily parting with one of its most decisive players – with 34 goals and 25 assists in 57 games this season – the economic dimension of the offer forces the club to reflect. United’s proposal comes at a time when the Barcelona entity needs financial balance, and that income would be an opportunity difficult to ignore.’
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By far the strangest claim in the report appears to be an assertion that ‘United’s sporting situation’, which saw them finish 15th in the Premier League last season – could actually be a factor in persuading him to leave Barcelona for Old Trafford.
The report adds:
‘It remains to know Raphinha’s position. At 28 years old, the Brazilian is in the best moment of his career, and although he has shown commitment to Flick’s project, United’s sporting situation could weigh on his decision.’
Absurd.
