Manchester United are plotting a swoop to sign highly rated Colombian midfielder Richard Rios from Benfica in the summer, as per CaughtOffside.
With Casemiro confirming he will depart at the end of the campaign, Manchester United are now expected to recruit at least one — and possibly two — midfielders during the upcoming summer window.
Across the season, the Brazilian has remained one of the more reliable performers, featuring in 31 of 33 Premier League matches while contributing eight goals and two assists, most recently delivering an impressive display in the 1–0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Despite his consistent form, his departure has already been confirmed, with both player and club agreeing that he will leave upon the expiry of his contract.
As a result, CaughtOffside reports that United will sign at least one midfielder next summer, with names such as Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Carlos Baleba linked.
The latest name in the list is Rios, according to the report, which claims that the 13-time Premier League champions have shown ‘concrete’ interest in signing the 25-year-old in the summer.
Rios to United
The report adds that, while it is unclear whether the Colombian is their primary target, United have been keeping tabs on him, with scouts giving positive feedback after watching him in action.
Although the Red Devils would be boosted by Benfica’s openness to accept offers from £39m, they face a stern battle with Italian giants Napoli and Premier League rivals Fulham, who have already made contact to sign the defensive midfielder, as per CaughtOffside.
Champions League football now looks set to return to Old Trafford in the 2023-24 season, with United sitting in third place and eight points above sixth-place Brighton & Hove Albion.
Much of their resurgence has been down to the brilliance of interim head coach Michael Carrick, who took over the reins from Ruben Amorin in January.
Since his arrival, he has led United to eight wins in 12 Premier League games, as many as the club achieved in their first 21 games of the season, when they also won just eight.
Having crashed out of the group stages in their last Champions League campaign, they will need to make adequate reinforcements in various positions to go the distance in the tournament next season, and Ríos would be a good addition to their midfield.
