Last Updated:
Ruben Amorim feels Manchester United have failed to scout his homeland properly over the last few years.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim (AP)
Ruben Amorim is reportedly keen to bring in Portuguese talent to English shores. The new Manchester United boss has urged the club to build a scouting team to explore the transfer market in Portugal, as reported by the Daily Mirror. Amorim has worked with many rising stars in the Primeira Liga during his spell at Sporting CP.
The Portuguese manager feels Manchester United have failed to scout his homeland properly over the last few years. Back in 2003, the Premier League side secured the signature of Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting. The forward achieved much success at Old Trafford before shifting his base to Real Madrid.
Another Portuguese star Nani also played alongside Ronaldo when Alex Ferguson was the manager of Manchester United. The English outfit, however, has not been that effective in signing young talents from Portugal in recent years.
In 2018, they roped in Diogo Dalot before signing Bruno Fernandes two years later. The duo has improved a lot while playing for the Manchester-based club.
There are other English clubs who have been successful in bringing in Portuguese talent in recent years. Bernardo Silva moved to the Premier League from Monaco in 2017 to join Manchester City. Ruben Dias also followed a similar path in 2020.
Manchester United were keen to sign Portuguese winger Pedro Neto from Wolves last summer. Chelsea, however, beat the Red Devils in the race to sign Neto on a £54-million deal.
In August, Manchester United showed interest in Joao Neves who also looked set for the move. Paris Saint Germain sealed the deal and signed the former Benfica man as a replacement for Manuel Ugarte.
Ruben Amorim seems to have already shortlisted a few Portuguese youngsters. He is interested in Geovany Quenda, a 17-year-old right-winger who has previously played under Amorim at Sporting. Jorge Mendes has reportedly held talks with Quenda and hopes to convince him to move to Old Trafford.
Apart from United, some other top European clubs like City, Juventus and Liverpool are also keeping their eyes on Quenda. Amorim also wants to sign Benfica’s Antonio Silva who has already become a key member of the Portugal team at the age of 21.
