Ole Gunnar Solskjær has done a decent job for this Manchester United side of late with the Norwegian manager slowly leaving a mark on the team. However, it is only fair to say that a manager is as good as his players and considering that the present United side are far from the finished product, the gaffer would require some reinforcements to take this side to the next level.
Evening Standard are reporting that Manchester United are in the market for a striker and they have identified Carlos Vinícius as a potential target. This report also claims that the Benfica star would be available for a lesser price than the other targets, somewhere in the region of £35 million.
The dependable Carlos Vinícius
After starting his career in Brazil, Vinícius moved to Real in 2017 playing in the Portuguese LigaPro. Soon he grabbed the attention of the major European teams with Napoli sealing his transfer the following season. His stint with the Italian club did not go as expected as the 25-year-old was never part of the first team and soon he was sent on loan to Portugal at first and then to France, where he plied his trade in Monaco.
The Brazilian performed decently for all the above mentioned sides, but not remarkable enough for any of them to permanently want him. Eventually last summer Vinícius moved to Benfica where he has really made a name for himself, scoring 15 goals in 19 games.
Would Vinícius be a good addition to United?
There is a lot of potential in the ex-Gremio star whose best years are ahead of him. His lanky structure makes him a menace from the set-pieces, and the opposition defenders would find it difficult to contain him. His poaching ability is also remarkable, and Vinícius would fit in perfectly with Rashford at the front, who could take up the creative workload. The Red Devils also have the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Daniel James in the midfield, meaning the striker would have a healthy supply line teeing him up.
The downside of the deal
The Mancunians have been linked with the likes of Dembele and Cavani so far, and there is not an iota of doubt that roping in one of them would be a better deal. While Carlos Vinícius would be a decent player for Solskjær’s team, he cannot be trusted to take the burden of creating the magic all alone. The Benfica man would need a creative spark from his teammates in the midfield and only then would he be able to deliver the goods.
One more area of concern for Man United would be his lack of consistently performing at the top. So far, he had a marvellous season at Benfica and before that another decent season in Portugal a few years ago. While making a deal for him, it has to be taken into consideration by Ed Woodward and company whether that would be sufficient enough for someone leading the Manchester United attack.
