Dubai side Al Ahli have made a €35 million (Dh142m) move for Benfica’s Argentine international winger Nicolas Gaitan, according to reports in Portugal.
Sports newspaper O Jogo says that officials from Ahli are in Lisbon in an attempt to negotiate a deal for Gaitan, 27, who has been linked with Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Valencia.
Gaitan's agent recently stated that a "deal has been agreed" with United, although progress has been limited on that front.
Ahli have already done business with Benfica this summer, signing Brazilian forward Rodrigo Lima, 32, and are said to be ready to meet Gaitan’s €35m release clause.
That fee would be an Arabian Gulf League record.
Gaitan, who has nine Argentina caps, has been at Benfica since 2010, when he arrived from Boca Juniors. He featured in Benfica’s 4-0 opening-day victory over Estoril on Sunday night in the Portuguese league.
The report in O Jogo says that Gaitan would prefer a move to Europe. He is represented by “super agent” Jorge Mendes and has been strongly linked as a replacement for Angel di Maria at United.
Ahli have yet to comment but they already have five foreign players in their squad, with Everton Ribeiro, Lima, Ciel and Oussama Assaidi joined by South Korea’s Kwon Kyung-won.
[ twoods@thenational.ae ]
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