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Manchester
United are understood to be in talks with Brazilian club
Grêmio concerning the transfer of Douglas Costa, their much sought
after teenage
midfield player, as Sir Alex Ferguson looks to replace Real
Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo.
Costa, who is commonly known simply as Douglas, is a left-footed
attacking midfield player and free-kick specialist. In Brazil he is
being hailed as "the new Ronaldinho" after earning rave reviews in
his first full season with the Grêmio senior squad.
United have been monitoring his progress for about two years;
but following outstanding performances in the junior Copa Santiago
tournament in January 2008, several other leading European clubs,
including Liverpool,
Inter Milan
and Real Madrid began to show an interest.
Grêmio responded by giving him a contract until February 2013,
with a release clause estimated to be worth £13.5 million. However,
Ferguson remains confident of signing the player this summer and
adding him to the growing roster of Brazilian stars at Old
Trafford.
Douglas’s agent Cesar Bottega, however, was more circumspect
yesterday when speaking about the negotiations: "There have been
some informal conversations [but] I don’t believe they can reach
those values. Right now, an offer might come in at a maximum of
£6.7million. But this would not be enough for [Grêmio] president
Duda Kroeff. At the end of the Brasileirão [Brazil’s equivalent of
the Premier League which ends in December], Douglas will be worth
at least twice what he’s worth now.”
Ferguson is also hoping to complete the transfer of Antonio
Valencia, the
Wigan
Athletic and Ecuador winger, before United head off to Asia
for a series of pre-season friendlies in the middle of July.
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