Manchester United make £20m bid for services of Moutinho
Manchester United have tabled a formal offer, believed to be about £20 million, for João Moutinho, the Portugal midfield player.
United contacted Porto, the 25-year-old’s present club, this week to establish their valuation of the playmaker and they returned with an opening offer yesterday. It is thought that Porto are prepared to sell Moutinho, an £8.5 million signing from Sporting Lisbon two years ago, but want as much as £26 million. United will hope the lure of playing at Old Trafford will be enough to encourage the player to agitate for a move and reduce the price.
United, though, are likely to face intense competition from Tottenham Hotspur for the player, who worked with André Villas-Boas, Spurs’ newly appointed manager, at Porto in 2010. Villas-Boas has earmarked Moutinho as his priority recruit should Luka Modric, the Croatia international, leave White Hart Lane.
Moutinho has admitted that he would welcome the chance to work with Villas-Boas again and the Spurs manager will no doubt hope to use that personal relationship to encourage the player to forgo Champions League football for at least one season
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Villas-Boas is also keen to be reunited with João Moutinho, the Portugal playmaker with whom he enjoyed such success at Porto, although Spurs will face competition from Manchester United for his services. The Old Trafford club have inquired about the 25-year-old’s availability, although it is thought that his relationship with Villas-Boas may offset the loss of Champions League football if both sides formalise their interest.