Manchester United 'planning club-record move for Benfica's Goncalo Ramos'

The Red Devils will sign at least one new striker during this summer's transfer window, and there are expected to be big funds available to head coach Erik ten Hag despite the uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the club.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani are currently in talks with the Glazer family over a takeover, with the latter looking to purchase the full 100% of the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo's departure at the end of last year led to Wout Weghorst arriving on loan in January, but the Netherlands international has struggled to make his mark and is set to return to parent club Burnley this summer.

Meanwhile, there have been claims that Anthony Martial could leave Old Trafford on a permanent basis at the end of the season due to his fitness issues this term.

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane continues to be heavily linked with a move to Man United, but the club could ultimately be forced to admit defeat in their pursuit of the England captain.

According to The Mirror, Ramos is now emerging as a leading target for the 20-time English champions, with the Portugal international identified as the ideal player to solve the team's goalscoring issues.

The report claims that Man United are preparing to hold talks with Benfica over a transfer, with a deal potentially being worth between £70m and £100m once add-ons have been included.

Man United's current transfer record stands at £89m, which is the figure that they paid Juventus in the summer of 2016 to re-sign Paul Pogba, while Antony, Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho are second, third and fourth respectively on the list.

Ramos came through the youth system at Benfica, representing their various youth teams before making his senior debut for the Portuguese giants in 2020.

The forward has scored 39 goals and registered 15 assists in 103 appearances for his current side in all competitions, while he has also been in impressive form this term.

Ramos has 25 goals and 11 assists in 44 appearances for Benfica this season, including 17 goals and six assists in 27 outings in the top flight of Portuguese football.

The Portuguese also represented his country at the 2022 World Cup, famously being preferred to Ronaldo for the last-16 clash with Switzerland and ultimately coming up with a hat-trick in that contest.

Ramos was only a substitute in Portugal's two Euro 2024 qualification matches against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg in March, though, with Ronaldo selected through the middle.