The Brazilian is one of the world’s most coveted players- but can the Red Devils afford him?
The results of our poll are in, and Manchester United fans are overwhelmingly in favour of a transfer bid for Brazilian Leandro Damiao, to replace Dimitar Berbatov.
68 per cent of fans said they wanted the Brazilian, with 31 per cent saying they want to sign Ricky van Wolfswinkel from Sporting Lisbon.
One per cent of supporters said they want to sign other striking targets, with Klaas Jan Hunterlaar, and Dynamo Kyiv’s Andriy Yarmolenko mentioned.
You can vote in the poll here http://hereisthecity.com/2012/03/20/ricky-van-wolfswinkel-or-leandro-damiao-to-replace-berbatov/?
But as one poster correctly asks, is Damiao a realistic proposition?
Well right now it is no given that the Brazilian international will leave Internacional in the summer, in fact at present it is around 70-30 in favour of him staying at his club.
An United have around a one in six chance of signing him, with PSG, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur all heavily interested.
So add those two figures together, and United have some work to do if they are to lure him to Old Trafford.
Would he be prepared to sit on the bench at times with Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck all competing for striking positions?
How much would he cost? A figure of £34 million has been mentioned.
This is where it really gets dicey for United.
If they are really set on improving their squad, the largest portion of their transfer budget should be spent on midfielders, with a gaping hole in the centre of the park.
Of course United will want a fourth striker to add to their squad, but this is why it would make more sense to spend £12 million on a Ricky van Wolfswinkel, than three times that.
So sure, Damiao may be a dream signing for United fans, his 40 goals in 51 games last season is highly impressive, but the club do not have a bottomless pit of transfer funds like rivals City, and will have to prioritise accordingly, and a huge fee on the Brazilian may not be top of that list.
Will United sign Damiao this summer? Let us know what you think
image: © jonnyr1
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