Erik ten Hag has given Manchester United's board the 'go-ahead' to sign Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos, despite their interest in Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen.
Ramos, 21, is one of the most exciting youngsters in Europe and has scored 24 goals for Benfica this season. He hit the headlines during the World Cup in Qatar, when he replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal's starting XI to score a hat-trick against Switzerland.
Ramos called Ronaldo "my reference" and labelled him an "idol" after that game. He could now follow in the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's footsteps by completing a summer move to Old Trafford, although the Red Devils remain interested in other forwards.
As reported by Spanish outlet AS, Ten Hag has approved the signing of Ramos - but the deal hangs on United's takeover. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe are among those trying to buy the club from the Glazers.
It is unclear whether the takeover process will be settled by the summer. The Glazers put United up for sale in November and that restricted Ten Hag's budget in January, as the Dutchman made only loan signings. Wout Weghorst was signed on loan from Burnley to replace Ronaldo after his exit by mutual consent in November.
United are hoping to land Ramos for €100million (£88m), which is thought to be less than his release clause. That could be a problem for the Red Devils, as Benfica refused to budge on Enzo Fernandez's release clause - forcing Chelsea to pay £107m in January
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It is believed United spotted Ramos after his stunning hat-trick against Switzerland, which helped Portugal record a 6-1 victory and reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. A 1-0 win for Morocco in the last four ended Ronaldo's hopes of success in Qatar.
Ramos, who has also provided 10 assists for Benfica this season, has previously been compared to Barcelona icon Luis Suarez. The emerging talent has filled the void left by Darwin Nunez in Lisbon, as the Uruguayan moved to Liverpool last summer.
Ramos waxed lyrical about Ronaldo after the Switzerland win. He said, "Cristiano Ronaldo is our leader. He’s the captain, he’s the leader and we always look forward to playing side by side with him. He is my reference and an idol to many of us. Cristiano Ronaldo, [Robert] Lewandowski, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic – those players are my role models."
United's interest in Ramos may concern Kane, who has been tipped to make an £80m move from Tottenham to Old Trafford this summer. Kane wants to stay in England to become the Premier League's all-time record scorer, but his options are limited.
United are also keen on Napoli's Osimhen, 24, Eintract Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani, 24, and Atalanta's Rasmus Holjund, 20. They seem certain to sign a striker this summer.
"I love his attitude, which he gives to the team," said Benfica manager Roger Schmidt while discussing Ramos earlier this month. "He is young, he is scoring goals in the Champions League and it is normal for him to attract the attention of other clubs."
