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Benfica are interested in signing Manchester United defender Alex Telles ahead of next season.
It has been reported that Telles is not part of Erik ten Hag’s plans at Old Trafford and the Brazilian has been earmarked for a sale this summer.
Porto are keen on bringing Telles back to Estádio do Dragão and to sweeten the deal from United’s perspective, the Portuguese giants are willing to include Telles as a makeweight in any deal to sell Diogo Costa to the Red Devils.
United are admirers of Costa and he is one of the players being considered to replace David de Gea.
The biggest obstacle to United signing Costa is the goalkeeper’s €75m release clause which United do not want to pay.
According to Torcedores via SportWitness, Roger Schmidt’s side want Telles but on loan.
United, aware that Telles is approaching the last year of his contract and will be a free agent next summer, are only open to a permanent sale.
Due to these circumstances, Benfica are finding it “difficult to negotiate” with United.
“The big problem is that Benfica want Telles signed on a loan deal with no buying option, and since his contract with Manchester United expires at the end of the season, they could then try to snatch him for free.”
United signed Telles from Porto in a €15m deal back in 2020.
The 30-year-old did not really have the desired impact at the Theatre of Dreams and the next few weeks represent United’s best chance of reaping a decent transfer fee from facilitating his departure.
Telles spent last season out on loan in Spain with Sevilla where he won the Europa League.
Sevilla decided not to make his stay permanent. The Spanish club even secured the services of a replacement for Telles.
