Manchester United look to have been handed a boost as Palmeiras would now be ready to consider selling star midfield player Richard Rios for just €20million this January, CaughtOffside understands.
The Colombia international has caught the eye of a number of clubs in the Premier League and Europe, with sources close to the situation informing CaughtOffside that Man Utd are joined by Fulham, Everton, Wolves and AC Milan as admirers of the 24-year-old.
United first expressed an interest in Rios in the summer, but Palmeiras were not prepared to sell at that time, though it seems their stance has relaxed ahead of the winter window, when we often see big names from Brazilian clubs making moves.
It remains to be seen if Rios will still be a priority for the Red Devils, but it could be useful for them to strengthen their midfield on the cheap if they can do it, with a number of their costly recent signings in that position failing to deliver.
Richard Rios transfer: An upgrade on Manuel Ugarte for Man United?
United signed Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer but he’s made a slow start to life at Old Trafford, while Casemiro has also notably been a major flop for the club despite showing some promise when he first joined.
Rios perhaps doesn’t seem ideal for MUFC right now, however, as it would be a big step up to go from Palmeiras to a top Premier League club looking to break back into the top four and compete for major trophies.
There is understood to be strong interest from Milan, while one imagines Rios might also do well to consider clubs like Fulham and Wolves, who have proven to be good stepping stone clubs for some top young players in the past, who would later go on to earn bigger moves after proving themselves in the Premier League.
Milan are also interested in Carney Chukwuemeka as an option to strengthen their midfield, with Chelsea willing to let him go this January.
