Man United have not bid for Botafogo midfielder Danilo – Explained | OneFootball

With the World Cup fast approaching, club football is preparing to enter the most chaotic period of the domestic calendar – the summer transfer window. Teams will not kick a ball for nearly three months, but decisions off the pitch, which will define success on it, are already fully underway ahead of next season.

In many ways, this is the most exciting time to be a fan, with hopes and dreams either being sparked or shattered by a well-timed ‘Here We Go!’ from Fabrizio Romano. But this is why accurate reporting is as important as suncream and ice-cold pints during the hottest months.

The Peoples Person will always endeavour to provide readers with the latest updates on Manchester United’s wheeling and dealing this summer. There is no other outlet as dedicated to this anywhere else in the vast and sprawling manusphere.

But this will never come at the expense of verity; even if that means not covering a story that may generate clicks and clamour amongst the fanbase – as today’s bombshell that United have tabled an ‘offer’ for a South American sensation taking Brazil by storm proves. Let us explain.

Midfield Rebuild

INEOS are in the process of finalising plans for a radical overhaul of Michael Carrick’s squad, fresh from the 44-year-old Englishman being confirmed as the Red Devils’ permanent head coach on a two-year deal. An overhaul in midfield is the priority, with Casemiro’s departure confirmed and Manuel Ugarte facing a similar fate after failing the audition to succeed the five-time Champions League winner.

It is understood that up to £150 million has been set aside to sign three midfielders, provided a buyer can be found for Ugarte. Elliot Anderson and Aurélien Tchouaméni are the primary targets, though pursuits for either player are considered difficult due to factors outside of United’s control, leading to alternatives being identified.

Consequently, Ederson – Atalanta’s 26-year-old dynamo – is now primed to become the first signing of the Carrick era as United close in on a £38 million deal. But a move for a different Brazilian is widely, and inaccurately, reported to also be on the cards.

The ‘Offer’ That Never Was

Danilo, the 25-year-old enforcer currently thriving at Botafogo after a failed stint with Nottingham Forest, is understood to be a target on the radar at Old Trafford after an impressive season. Yesterday, Brazilian outlet UOL revealed United had “approached” Botafogo to enquire about a deal.

Naturally, the report was delivered in Portuguese, which a number of prominent British publications then incorrectly translated to claim United had made an ‘offer’, rather than an enquiry, for the midfielder.

GIVEMESPORT state the Red Devils have “submitted a bid”, while TEAMtalk, Football365 and the Metro concoct similar tales of an “offer” that was never actually delivered.

The truth is this: UOL did not report United have bid for Danilo. The fact that there is interest from M16 is not even an update; a report relayed by The Peoples Person covered this nearly four weeks ago. It’s closer to ‘olds’ than ‘news’ by any meaningful metric of football journalism.

Final Thoughts

This writer knows more than anyone the rush a big-money move for an exciting talent generates; the thrill of the chase is as addictive as the hunt for a free seat in a beer garden this summer.

Finding the missing piece of a title-winning jigsaw that elevates your side from pretenders to contenders is the essence of a transfer window, even if it leads to a painstakingly researched article about how Rasmus Hojlund would be a better signing than Harry Kane. Or is that just me?

But fantasy has no business becoming fiction when reporting on football; the outlets that told United fans their team had submitted an offer that never existed should be mindful of this fact – as should fans when choosing where to consume their news this summer. Hint hint.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social