Manchester United are interested in signing Richard Rios for a second summer running, with Benfica now having a clear stance on his potential sale.
Last summer, Manchester United scouted Richard Rios when he was at Palmeiras, lighting up the Club World Cup from midfield.
This tournament saw Rios courted by half of Europe’s elite before ultimately the Colombian moved to Portugal with Benfica getting his signature for around £23m.
There was talk of United hijacking the Rios deal, which ultimately didn’t come to fruition. But now, there seems likely to be another race for his signature this summer.
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Richard Ríos plays for SL Benfica
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Manchester United interested in signing Richard Rios
Signing Rios as a 24-year-old from the Brazilian league would have been a big risk for United, but this season he has proved his quality a level up in Portugal.
The result of this is renewed transfer interest from across Europe.
It is according to AS in Colombia that United are now back in the chasing pack to sign Rios.
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Napoli, Inter Milan, Roma, and Fulham are also in the race for Rios this summer, with interest from each club being expressed in the midfielder who will be at the World Cup with Colombia.
However, despite interest, Benfica have made it clear to the interested clubs that they have no intention of letting Rios leave this summer, with Jose Mourinho surely playing a key role in the push to keep him. He appears to rate the 25-year-old very highly.
Rios missed out on his United move last summer, and chances are this year will be no different.
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Rios should be far down Manchester United’s shortlist
This season, Rios has been vital for Mourinho’s unbeaten Benfica side, being the key player in midfield as he makes the Portuguese league look a level below him.
Both defensively and in possession, Rios ranks among the best in the division this season, but that in itself could be an issue for Manchester United.
Rios is playing in Liga Portugal, a league that has been shown in recent years to be weak, with Ruben Amorim and Viktor Gyokeres the most notable failures in a Premier League jump.
This alone is likely enough to be a red flag for Ineos and probably a reason against signing the Colombian.
Of course, he could go to Fulham and become a star, which would certainly lead to regret from the United recruitment staff, but there are safer choices for Ineos to make.
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