Manchester United to be given new price by Benfica to seal huge Darwin Nunez transfer

Man UTD boss Ralf Rangnick after Watford draw

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Manchester United will be given a new price tag by Benfica to sign Darwin Nunez in this summer’s transfer window, according to reports. The Red Devils are primed to hunt a long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani at the end of the campaign. And Nunez is currently being linked with a move to Old Trafford.

Manchester United have seen Ronaldo and Cavani struggle for consistency over the course of the campaign.

Ronaldo has scored 15 goals across all competitions but, with just one game in 2022 so far, is starting to look his age.

Cavani, meanwhile, has been plagued by injuries and fitness issues ever since touching down on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick has already confirmed the club will look to land a word-class No 9 at the end of the campaign.

And Benfica star Nunez is one of the players to have been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

The Uruguay international has scored 20 goals in as many Primeira Liga matches this term, while he’s also notched three times in the Champions League.

In January, Benfica set a price tag of £50million to land the striker amid interest from West Ham.

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That’s despite Nunez currently having a massive £125m buyout clause in his contract at the Estadio da Luz.

However, Record now say that Benfica will set a fresh price tag for their star asset when the transfer window reopens at the end of the season.

The newspaper doesn’t specify a figure but, if it’s met, the Portuguese giants won’t stand in Nunez’s way of a departure.

United are said to be ‘in a race’ to land the 22-year-old.

But he’s not the only forward they’re currently being linked with at a time where Ronaldo and Cavani are approaching the twilight years of their respective careers.

Harry Kane links have resurfaced, particularly with Antonio Conte’s future at Tottenham currently up in the air.

It’s possible United will pursue Kane if they appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their next manager, with the Argentine under consideration behind the scenes.

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United have been tipped to pursue Ajax star Antony, too.

Yet they’re not expected to join the race for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, with Real Madrid frontrunners in the race for the Norway international.

United are apparently interested in Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen.

However, any deal won’t be cheap with the Serie A giants likely to demand a fee close to £84m for their talisman.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo has come in for criticism amid United’s search for a new striker.

But Dimitar Berbatov has defended his former team-mate, insisting he’s allowed bad games at the age of 37.

The Bulgarian told Betfair: “When teams have a bad result the star players always end up with the blame, and at the minute with Manchester Untied, that’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

“At the moment he’s got just one goal in ten games and that seems problematic for everybody, but not for me.

“There are eleven players on the pitch and the blame should be shared. Ronaldo is an icon in the world of football and people need to remember that he’s 37.

“So, from time to time he is allowed to have a couple of bad games. But I don’t think that is the problem here.

“Overall, as a team when they have a good game they have to follow that up.

“I think Ronaldo is doing enough for United, obviously people will look for more because of the standards that he sets.

“There will always be people questioning him when he has a bad match, and they are taking advantage of that now. People need to consider his age, how he plays, his position and how the team plays.

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“People need to be realistic with him and they need to know that it’s totally different when you’re 37 to being 27.

“He is going to have moments when he needs his teammates to produce more for him, that’s normal in football. Ronaldo is a total professional and he will speak to the manager and he will want to produce more.

“Everybody in the United team needs to produce more, the standards should be a lot higher than they are.

“Ronaldo is also a realistic guy, he will know that his performances aren’t where he wants them to be, even though he’s older and his game is totally different, he sets very high standards. I don’t think that needs explaining to him.

“Everything that he has achieved in football isn’t because of luck, he knows what he is doing, and he will know that he will need to produce more at the moment and trust me, that will drive him forward.

“People need to get off his back and let him get on with it.”

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