Man United are reportedly plotting a move to sign Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios, who has an £85m release clause.
Ruben Amorim has already improved his squad in attack by signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves, and he also wants to sign a striker and Bryan Mbeumo.
However, United need to improve in other areas of the pitch too, one of which is in central midfield. Christian Eriksen left the club as a free agent, and Casemiro’s future is uncertain at the age of 33. Furthermore, there have been previous reports linking Kobbie Mainoo with a move to Chelsea.
With that in mind, Man United want to sign a midfielder to add more talent to their squad, and they have been scouting a 25-year-old Colombian sensation. According to GiveMeSport, Man United want to sign Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios, and they are watching him during the Brazilian side’s Club World Cup campaign.
The report says that Rios has an £85m release clause in his contract, and that both Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest also have an eye on the 25-year-old. He is a physical player, who plays as a defensive midfielder, always looking to protect his defence, something that United currently lacks.
Rios has been at Palmeiras for two years, and has since made 133 appearances, scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists. He is well known in the Brazilian league, but is lesser known in Europe. However, it now seems as though he’s catching the eye of some bigger clubs on this side of the Atlantic.
Rios is an alternative to Ederson
Rios isn’t the only defensive midfielder that United have been linked to as of late. They have been heavily linked to signing Atalanta’s Ederson, who is in heavy demand across Europe.
He is expected to cost around £60m this summer, after having a superb season where he made 49 appearances for Atalanta, scoring five goals and providing two assists. He is also a physical defensive midfielder.
However, the difference between Rios and Ederson is that Ederson is a lot more comfortable on the ball in transition, whereas Rios is more defensively strong, so it would depend on what sort of player Amorim is looking for.
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