Man United face competition from Liverpool in transfer race to sign Gaitan

29 May 2015 10:49

Benfica will struggle to keep hold of their attacking midfield ace with two Premier League heavyweights wading in to relieve the Portuguese champions of their star player Nicolas Gaitan.

The Daily Mail have reported that Brendan Rodgers is looking to hijack talks between United and Benfica for the player who was brought to Benfica to replace the outgoing Angel di Maria by making a swift and early move to secure his signature.

Gaitan cost Benfica 8.4million euros from Boca Juniors and is estimated to cost one of the Premier suitors £21m. The 27-year-old from San Martin Argentina extended his contract in 2014 to 2018 and has a buyout clause of 35million euros.

Nicolas Gaitan has spent five seasons with Benfica and made 215 appearances in all competitions, scoring a modest 30 goals of which 4 were scored in the 2014-15 season. Like the player he replaced the player favours the left of midfield where he plays in a more advanced role for Benfica but is essentially a versatile left-footed player with superb ball skills both with distribution and dribbling.

Gaitan has won the Primeira Liga twice in succession from 2013-15 and been a Europa League runner-up twice in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Source: DSG