Vitinha transfer talk throws Man Utd’s De Jong pursuit into doubt

Robin Bairner

• 15 Jun 2022 14:48 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are reportedly ready to trigger the €40 million release clause of Porto midfielder Vitinha.

A Bola reports that the Red Devils have been watching the 22-year-old extensively since March, during which time they have been gathering reports on the central midfield player.

Vitinha has made his international debut in that time and has now turned out three times for Portugal, including a first start for his country in a 1-0 defeat against Switzerland in the Nations League on 12 June.

This is a reflection on what has been a breakout campaign for the promising youngster, who had spent an unspectacular season with Wolves on loan in 2020/21. That campaign did not go according to plan. He accumulated less than 500 Premier League minutes and struggled to impress when he did play.

He would return to the Premier League a different beast. With Porto, he started last season as a benchwarmer, featuring only once as a substitute in the club’s first five matches of the campaign, yet by the time the term concluded in March he was starting every fixture.

Vitinha or De Jong for Man Utd

Vitinha typically plays on the left-hand side of the defensive midfield area, although he can operate as a No.10. It would be in this deeper role that he would primarily be used at Man Utd, however.

That the Red Devils are being linked to him does throw some doubt on Frenkie de Jong’s transfer to Old Trafford from Barcelona. The Dutchman needs a ball-winner to play alongside him, but Vitinha’s qualities are more offensive. Indeed, the strengths and weaknesses of the two run roughly parallel, suggesting that they would be incompatible in the same midfield.

Although it’s true that new manager Erik ten Hag wants two central players, he is not chasing a couple of midfielders with similar profiles.

It is unlikely, then, the Red Devils would sign both players given that there are more urgent areas of the team that have problems that need to be addressed. It is also interesting that these rumours have surfaced as Man Utd have raised concerns over Barcelona's valuation of the Dutchman.

Logically, it is ether Vitinha or Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United this summer.