Manchester United had scouts present for Porto’s 1-3 defeat at Gil Vicente as the club looks to enter the January transfer market finally.
Sport Witness cites a report from Portugal that claims United had scouts in the stands to watch the match. The report specifies that they were watching players from Porto, not the triumphant hosts.
The scouting trip followed a 1-3 loss for United – with the feeble display at home to Brighton and Hove Albion underlining just how desperately Ruben Amorim needs reinforcements.
The Portuguese spoke bluntly following the defeat, calling his side “maybe the worst team in the history of Manchester United” as they sit in 13th place just ten points clear of the relegation zone.
Meanwhile Porto boss Vitor Bruno was sacked after the Gil Vicente game with his side third in the league, which is still topped by Amorim’s former side, Sporting Lisbon.
The report did not specify which players were being looked at, but Sport Witness explain that “this is not the first time that officials from the Old Trafford club have watched Porto recently.”
United’s scouts were joined in the stands by representatives from Southampton, Marseille, Bologna and Mallorca.
Sport Witness note that two likely players up for consideration were Brazilian winger Galeno and towering centre-forward Samu Aghehowa, both of whom “have been linked with a host of clubs in the past few months.”
The 20-year-old striker is known all too well to United’s defender and especially Matthijs de Ligt, who was run ragged by his pace and power during the 3-3 Europa League draw in October last year.
He has bagged 18 goals in 24 games so far this season, and could be a great option for Amorim who needs goals and also values physicality.
However, he fluffed his lines yesterday in front of United’s scouts, drawing a blank in front of goal while receiving a red card in the 101st minute.
Galeno has 12 goals and 3 assists from 28 matches, operating as a left-winger and left-back, so could be viewed as an option for United’s painfully understaffed left wing-back position.
Earlier this month it was reported that the Red Devils were interested in Porto’s 17-year-old attacking midfielder Francisco Moura, who featured for around 20 minutes against Gil Vicente.
Feature image Octavio Passos via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
