Goncalo Guedes is reportedly the latest 18 year old to sit atop Louis van Gaal’s Christmas wish list with the Portugese winger’s reputation setting Premier League clubs alight 7 weeks out from the start of the January transfer window.
Tagged as ‘the new Ronaldo’, it has been reported in the latest Manchester United transfer news that no fewer than eight scouts from eight different clubs attended Benfica’s Champions League Group Stage match against Galatasaray including clubs like United, City, Barcelona, Arsenal and Southampton present.
While they could be there to scout the likes of Gaitan who has also been linked with a move away from Estadio da Luz, Guedes stocks and his recent performances have made the world sit up and take notice.
Looking to exploit true width around the ground, Guedes would be right at home at United as his pace and skill very much suits Van Gaal’s preferred formation. Playing on either wing in tandem with Depay and Martial in the middle, it would be a mouth-watering trio up front.
Of course, anyone who’s tagged as the ‘new (insert greatest player of all time here)’ needs to be approached with some caution but his early form looks good, especially in the Reserves, scoring 7 goals and achieving 12 assists last season.
It is is rather a little too soon to suggest that he could be coming to Old Trafford, especially with a £40 million buyout clause after signing a new contract with Benfica in April. But with Van Gaal showing that he laughs in the face of high prices for promising youngsters, it’s not outside the realms of possibility.
