Paris Saint-Germain will reportedly rival Manchester United for the signature of Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos this summer.
The 22-year-old is facing an uncertain future with the Portuguese giants, who have allegedly given the striker's agent Jorge Mendes the green light to sound out potential suitors for his client.
The Red Devils are understood to have identified Ramos as one of their primary attacking targets, with Erik ten Hag looking to reinforce his frontline following the January exit of Cristiano Ronaldo and departure of loanee Wout Weghorst at the end of last season.
A report from early this month claims that Benfica expect Man United to trigger the €120m (£103m) release clause in Ramos's contract, and Portuguese compatriot Bruno Fernandes has recently talked up the prospect of linking up with the striker at Old Trafford.
"I think Goncalo has all the conditions to play in the Premier League," Fernandes told Portuguese news outlet Sport TV as quoted by Record. "He plays with a lot of intensity, he presses very well and is really good inside the penalty area. He is strong. Obviously, he is still very young and will improve a lot.
"If he continues to work as he has worked so far, I believe he has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world. He is already close to that level, but he still needs to go to a more competitive league and prove himself. He will go there, something I believe he has all the capabilities to do."
Asked whether Ramos could join Man United this summer, Fernandes added: "Here, the best players will always be valued, be it Goncalo or someone else. I think he has all the qualities to play in the Premier League, and when I say in the Premier League, I also mean Manchester United.
"I think he could become a great reference in years to come. But it is still not in my hands, it is up to the sporting director. When I am in that position, I will make those decisions."
Man United could step up their pursuit of Ramos as soon as they have completed the signing of Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, but they may face stern competition for the striker's signature.
Indeed, The Mirror reports that Ligue 1 champions PSG have entered the race to sign Ramos and have approached Benfica over a proposed summer deal for the striker.
A separate report from Portuguese news outlet CM reports that PSG have in fact tabled a €80m (£68.5m) bid, putting pressure on Man United to respond with an offer of their own.
Following the exit of Darwin Nunez to Liverpool last summer, Ramos stepped up to become Benfica's first-choice centre-forward last season and enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2022-23, scoring 27 goals and providing 12 assists in 47 games across all competitions.
Ramos was also a standout youngster to emerge at the 2022 World Cup with Portugal and scored a memorable hat-trick in the thumping 6-1 quarter-final win over Switzerland in just his fourth senior international appearance.
PSG have targeted Ramos at a time when speculation over the long-term future of Kylian Mbappe is rife, with the Frenchman having now entered the final year of his contract at the Parc des Princes.
The French giants are also understood to have identified Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, Atalanta BC's Rasmus Hojlund, Juventus's Dusan Vlahovic, Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani and Napoli's Victor Osimhen as possible summer targets – five strikers who are also on the radar of Man United. body check tags ::
