Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing young Portuguese defensive midfielder Florentino Luis next summer. According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Daily Star), the Red Devils, as well as city rivals Manchester City, are keen on signing the 20-year-old, with City’s scouts having a close look at the youngster recently.
The report states that City were to make a bid of £55 million in the recently concluded summer transfer window, but they could return next summer, as will Manchester United. French side Paris Saint-Germain were also rumoured to be interested in signing the Benfica player in the summer.
Luis has come through the famed Benfica academy, graduating to the B-team in 2016, and then the senior team earlier this year. The 20-year-old has made 19 appearances so far, scoring one goal and assisting another, and being a part of the team that won the Portuguese league title last season.
The youngster was part of the Portuguese U17 squad that won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2016, as well as the U19 squad that won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2018.
Florentino Luis: What will he add to the team?
Luis is a good tackler of the ball, sitting deep in midfield and providing cover to his team’s defence. In the four games so far this season, he has averaged 3.5 tackles and 4.3 interceptions per game in the league. The youngster recovers the ball quickly and makes vital interceptions with his agility and his ability to read attacking situations.
He fills in gaps left by the full-backs, and often makes himself available for a pass and relieve pressure that gets built up by opposing forwards.
Apart from his fine tackling and ability to retrieve the ball, Luis is also a good passer, who often holds the ball and has a high pass completion percentage. This season, the 20-year-old has completed 89.8% of all his passes and has averaged 49 passes per game in the league.
With Nemanja Matic seemingly edging to the end of his Manchester United career after being banished to the bench by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United will need another option in midfield to play alongside Paul Pogba, and Luis could very well be that player in the coming seasons.
At 20 years of age, he fits the mould of the kind of player Solskjaer needs in his ongoing rebuild of the English club and is someone who will be eager to prove himself on the biggest stage of all sooner rather than later.
