According to Premier League Brasil, Manchester United came to an agreement this summer to sign Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Menino, but the club ultimately decided not to go through with the transaction for a variety of reasons.
During the latter stages of the most recent transfer window, the Red Devils had the objective of acquiring the services of a defensive midfielder. They were ultimately successful in securing Sofyan Amrabat’s loan from Fiorentina and he joined the team.
Despite this, it would appear that United had their sights set on a different player to sign. Menino was suggested for acquisition by United’s research division, which felt that the player would be an excellent fit for the team.
Late in the month of August, Palmeiras president Leila Pereira confirmed that her club had received an official offer of £8 million, but the Red Devils ultimately decided to back out of the summer deal for a variety of reasons.
The choice that United took regarding the Amrabat loan was the correct one.
Menino has been a member of Palmeiras ever since he graduated from the club’s youth academy. He has nearly 200 total appearances for the Serie A club across all competitions, with nearly 200 of those coming in Serie A.
The 23-year-old is a defensive midfielder by profession, but he can also operate from central midfield or at right-back. This may have been one of the reasons why United was interested in the opportunity.
In spite of this, we think that United made the correct choice when they decided to land Amrabat. The Moroccan ace has already demonstrated his worth at the top level of competition and has worked with Erik ten Hag.
Since Menino has spent his whole career playing in Brazilian football, it is possible that the midfielder would have had difficulty adapting to the Premier League. However, bringing Menino in would have been less expensive.
In addition to this, the club might have had trouble obtaining a work permit for him in a timely manner due to the fact that he is not a particularly talented young player and has never played for the national team.
It’s possible that United’s decision to pull the plug on the potential agreement to sign Menino away from Palmeiras was influenced by Fiorentina’s decision to accept an enormous loan fee up front for Amrabat.
