Sources: Contact made as Man United battle PL club for €45m Richard Rios transfer | OneFootball

Manchester United are going to be one to watch in the race for an intriguing €45m talent this summer, according to sources.

Benfica’s Richard Rios is, I’m told, “highly unlikely to stay at Benfica” beyond the end of this season, with offers in the region of €45m likely to be accepted.

Depending on who you speak to, however, it might also be that Benfica will wait for the opportunity to raise their asking price after the World Cup if the 25-year-old Colombia international impresses in the tournament in North America.

Alternatively, I’m also told that interested clubs currently value Rios at more like €30m, with Manchester United joined by Fulham and Napoli in eyeing him up.

So, overall, a bit of a mixed picture in terms of his valuation for the moment, but the interest is concrete, with Fulham already making contact over a potential deal, while Napoli have held internal discussions over tabling an opening offer.

Manchester United to move for Richard Rios?

For the time being, it’s unclear if United are making Rios a priority, but several sources confirmed that they’ve had scouts watch him play, with all the feedback being very positive so far.

It’s pretty much public knowledge at this point that MUFC will be in the market for one or two midfielders this summer, with big names like Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Carlos Baleba previously linked.

It’s not yet entirely clear how United will prioritise these various names, who have also been linked with other big clubs, so there are a lot of moving parts here.

One source suggested, however, that “it’s shaping up for United to make one ‘statement’ signing in midfield, ideally Anderson, whilst also shoring up their squad depth with one more player who’d likely be a bit cheaper.”

So in that sense Rios fits the bill, as long as his asking price doesn’t shoot up too much in the weeks ahead.

We know that impressive international tournaments can inflate a player’s price tag a lot, so clubs might do well to move for Rios earlier if Benfica are ready to enter into negotiations.