Real Madrid have weighed into the race for Porto defender Eder Militao – a player who has been targeted by both Liverpool and Manchester United in the past.
The European Champions have raced to the front of the queue for the 20-year-old but reports from Marca today suggest they won’t match Porto’s €50million valuation of the player.
Barcelona have also been linked with the Brazilian in the past and he is rated as one of the best young defenders in world football.
Militao only joined Porto last summer from Sao Paulo for €4million and the prospect of making such a quick healthy return on the player appeals to the club’s owners. Last summer they made big profits on Ricardo Pereira and Diego Dalot who left for Leicester City and Manchester United for €25million.
Real Madrid have apparently had the player watched three times as they prepare a bid. He is unlikely to leave in this transfer window because of Porto’s involvement in the Champions League last 16 but if he did, Real Madrid would make a saving of €8million.
Former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was a huge fan of the player and had identified him as a potential January target. His replacement Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stated that he wasn’t going to make huge changes to the squad in January so a move to Old Trafford in the next few weeks appears unlikely. More recently, Liverpool looked like the team heading the queue for the player but Real Madrid’s interest complicates matters.