Manchester United turn attention to Alex Telles - but face competition to sign the FC Porto star
Manchester United are set to miss out on the signing of Real Madrid left back Sergio Reguilon after a late swoop by Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur, and a move for an alternative is now on the agenda.
Reguilon had been widely expected to be heading to Old Trafford this window, but with Manchester United failing to meet Madrid’s demands, Spurs are set to sign the Spain international for a fee in the region of 30 million euros.
Manchester United, however, have other options available to them, and one of their preferred targets is Porto’s star Alex Telles, who was integral to Porto’s unlikely Primeira Liga triumph last season, scoring an incredible 11 goals and assisting a further 8 in the league alone despite his defensive starting position.
Widely considered one of the most complete left backs in world football, at least on Portugal’s shores, there is surprise amongst fans of the domestic game that no clubs have yet made a move for the 27-year old Brazilian, who has proven to be a top class athlete since arriving in Portugal from Galatasaray in 2016.
Manchester United know that they will be able to sign Alex Telles for a very reasonable fee this window, with the former Inter Milan fullback entering his last year of contract and with no renewal in sight. Porto, desperate not to lose another valuable asset for free, having already seen Brahimi and Herrera leave the club for no charge at all last summer, are willing to entertain offers upwards of 25 million euros for the offensive fullback.
United have already shown some interest in Telles this window, but negotiations have been slow with the Manchester club looking at alternatives.
Should United step up their interest now, they know that they will face competition for his signature, with Atletico Madrid seen as a highly possible destination for the Brazilian international, with Hector Herrera perhaps moving in the opposite direction to return to the Portuguese champions.
The options for Telles have reduced considerably though, with other clubs understood to hold some interest in him opting for alternatives instead. Sevilla, for example, recently completed the signing of Marcos Acuna, while Chelsea signed Ben Chilwell and PSG are looking to renew the contract of Juan Bernat. Manchester United and Atletico Madrid are therefore seen as the current frontrunners, but you cannot rule out interest developing from other clubs.
Manchester United are accustomed to shopping in Portugal, and the recent success of Bruno Fernandes will surely make a move for Alex Telles even more tempting.
