Manchester United are on the brink of a deal to sign FC Porto midfielder Vitinha for £34m, according to reports in Portugal.
The Lowdown: Vitinha profiled
Vitinha is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in holding or attacking midfield roles. The 22-year-old spent the 2020/21 season on loan with Wolves, making 22 appearances and earning praise as a ‘special talent’ after making the move to Molineux.
The Premier League side didn’t exercise their option to make a move permanent, but the Portugal international, who shares the same agency as Cristiano Ronaldo, could now be heading back to England to work under Erik ten Hag.
The Latest: Transfer ‘imminent’
Sports Witness relayed an update from Portuguese 0utlet Record on Tuesday morning regarding Vitinha.
They claimed that the midfielder is heading for an ‘imminent’ exit, with a Premier League club set to exercise his €40m (£34m) release clause. Manchester United are the only club mentioned, with Vitinha apparently fitting Ten Hag’s style of play.
The Verdict: Interesting…
Vitinha only made five Premier League starts with Wolves, scoring his only goal for the club coming against non-league Chorley in the FA Cup. It’s safe to say he didn’t have the best of spells in England, where he mainly played as an attacking midfielder.
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He seemed to improve last season and was a regular for FC Porto playing in a deeper role though, so that could be a position Ten Hag looks to use him in going forward.
That would leave Bruno Fernandes free to occupy a more advanced role, and still just 22 years of age, United could look back on a move for Vitinha in years to come as a smart piece of business.
In other news: Fabrizio Romano now drops more transfer news he’s heard from Man Utd after ‘internal’ talks.
