Chelsea and Manchester United have experienced contrasting starts to the new Premier League season.
Chelsea sit fourth after collecting 13 points from their opening seven matches. Recent victories over Bournemouth and Everton have strengthened their encouraging start under Xabi Alonso.
Manchester United, meanwhile, have struggled badly for consistency. The Red Devils sit 13th after winning just once in seven league matches.
Their problems deepened with a 4-1 Champions League defeat against Como. Both clubs could now look towards the January market for attacking reinforcements.
According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea and Manchester United are preparing potential January offers for Sporting CP winger Flavio Goncalves.
The 19-year-old has attracted extensive scouting interest from both Premier League clubs. Teams from La Liga and Serie A have also monitored his progress.
Goncalves can operate on either wing or through the middle as an attacking midfielder. His existing Sporting contract runs until 2030 and contains a €60 million release clause.
Chelsea and United could test Sporting with offers of around €45 million to €50 million in January. However, Sporting have no desire to lose Goncalves and want to secure his long-term future.
The Portuguese club have started working towards a new contract with the teenager. They want any new agreement to contain a release clause closer to €100 million.
Sporting believe Goncalves could eventually become a €100 million player and want greater protection against growing interest. However, negotiations over fresh terms have yet to produce concrete progress.
Goncalves’ position could therefore become important if Chelsea or Manchester United intensify their pursuit during January.
Chelsea already have a strong relationship with Sporting following their previous move for Geovany Quenda. For now, Sporting can point interested clubs towards Goncalves’ existing €60 million clause.
However, Chelsea and Manchester United are preparing to test their resolve as the race for the highly rated Portuguese attacker begins to intensify.
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