Benfica’s Gaitan looks set for a switch to Anfield.
The race to sign Benfica winger Nicolas Gaitan is really hotting up as Liverpool move ahead of Manchester United as favourites to sign the Argentinian, according to talkSPORT.
After missing out on the last three wide men they have targeted, the Reds look set to do some hijacking of their own in a £16m move for Gaitan.
The Red Devils have been keeping tabs on the 26-year-old for some time, even coming close to signing the attacking midfielder in the summer of 2012, but the club have lost some of their appeal since then.
The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson as manager and David Moyes’ succession has been a difficult transition for United, who are currently seventh in the Premier League and facing the very realistic prospect of failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995.
For Brendan Rodgers’ side it is an entirely different story, as their 0-3 win at Southampton on Saturday moved them to second in the table and if they, as expected, secure a top four finish the spending will be big in the summer.
Gaitan is among a number of players the Northern Irishman wants, with the South American impressing at the Estadio da Luz ever since a switch from Boca Juniors in 2010.
Since then the winger has played 161 times for Benfica in all competitions, including vital European experience, and has also earned six caps for Argentina to date.
Although generally operating on the left hand side, Gaitan can also play on the right and in the No.10 role behind the striker and would supply a vital alternative to the likes of Coutinho and Raheem Sterling at Anfield.
The Merseyside club have missed out on signing Willian, Mohamed Salah and Yevhen Konoplyanka in the last 12 months and therefore the Argentine would be the ideal acquisition for the side as they look to achieve their title ambitions in the coming years.
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