Man Utd Contacts With Gremio For Douglas Costa

UK newspaper The Guardian reports : Manchester United have re-established formal contact with the Brazilian club Gremio about trying to reach a compromise over a fee for Douglas Costa, the talented 18-year-old who has been hailed as “the new Ronaldinho” in his country.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, rates Costa as the brightest young talent currently playing in South America but the Premier League champions could not convince Gremio to allow him out on loan when negotiations began earlier this summer and believe the deal can happen only if the Porto Alegre club drastically lower their valuation.

Gremio have severe financial issues and are acutely aware that selling their most prized young asset could be the answer to those problems. With that in mind,

they have informed prospective buyers they want £21m. United regard that as excessive for a player who has not yet played 20 senior games but they are hoping Gremio’s position is negotiable and have put together a financial package,

with an initial outlay of £7m, plus a series of success-related add-ons if the player lives up to the promise that has brought him to the attention of Ferguson via John Calvert-Toulmin, the club’s principal scout in Brazil.

Guardian

~ by footballdirecta on July 13, 2009.