Man Utd battle Bayern for Ronaldo successor

Suraj Radia

• 11 Apr 2023 11:03 CDT
• 2 min read

Manchester United will face strong competition from Bayern Munich this summer to sign Goncalo Ramos if they choose to make the Benfica forward their new number nine.

United’s top priority in the transfer window will be a striker and Ramos is high on Erik ten Hag’s shortlist, along with Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen.

The Red Devils have struggled to replace Cristiano Ronaldo since his acrimonious departure in December, with January loan signing Wout Weghorst failing to score in ten Premier League games with United.

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Ramos has enjoyed a breakout campaign with Benfica this season, scoring 17 goals in 23 league matches as well as three in the Champions League and three with Portugal at the World Cup.

Bayern are also in the market for a new striker and have reportedly earmarked €100 million this summer to sign a successor for Robert Lewandowski, who joined Barcelona last year.

Benfica have a history of demanding significant fees for their prized talents, having sold Darwin Nunez to Liverpool for €100m last summer, and Ramos is also expected to command a large fee after the Portuguese side turned down bids of €30m for him last year.

Ramos one of three strikers on United’s shortlist

Kane is thought to be United’s ideal target, with the England striker heading into the final year of his contract, but the club are not keen on getting into a drawn out saga with Tottenham.

Osimhen, meanwhile, has been one of the most prolific scorers in Europe this season and has expressed his desire to move to England, with his Napoli contract due to expire in 2025.

Napoli are on course to win Serie A this season, meaning they are not desperate to sell, however they may take advantage of Osimhen’s 21-goal season and cash in on the Nigerian if they receive a bid in excess of €100m.

United may need to sell players in order to make such an outlay, having spent more than €250m last summer, but Ramos could represent a slightly cheaper option, although Bayern’s interest may spark a bidding war for the 21-year-old.