RB Leipzig to sign Benfica prodigy Umaro Embaló as Manchester United refuse to increase €5m bid
KEY POINTS
- The Bundesliga side have reportedly agreed a €20m package with Benfica.
- United were one of the first clubs to hold talks over the 16-year-old but would not pay up.
RB Leipzig are poised to sign Benfica sensation Umaro Embaló for €20m (£17.6m, $24m) after Manchester United reportedly refused to increase their offer for the teenager.
The 20-time English league champions dispatched chief scout Javier Ribalta to watch over the 16-year-old forward when Benfica and United's youngsters met in the Uefa Youth Cup last October.
Subsequent reports in Portugal claimed a deal had already been struck between the two clubs for the talent regarded as one of the best to emerge from the club's academy in recent years.
Embalo's agent later confirmed a meeting between United and Benfica had taken place, but stressed no deal was done, with clubs across Europe closely following his progress.
Barcelona are among them and have been following his progress for "several seasons" but RB Leipzig are now in position to see of interest from Europe's elite and bring Embalo to the Bundesliga.
Reports in Germany last week claimed the German side have offered €18m for the youngster who is still to make his senior debut, having already seen a bid of €13m turned away. A Bola now report the youngster is "on his way" to Leipzig after the two clubs agreed a €20m package with Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira and legal director Paulo Gonçalves travelling to Germany on Wednesday (17 January) to finalise the deal.
A Bola add the deal is now done pending Embalo's medical and contract signing, which they expect to happen next week.
The Portuguese publication also claim United were the first club to open talks with Benfica over their prodigious young talent several weeks ago. The Premier League side however were not prepared to increase their offer beyond €5m, a bid someway short of Benfica's initial €15m valuation which itself has risen since Leipzig opened formal talks.
The club currently sat second in the German top flight are hopeful the promise of a quicker route to their first-team will convince Embalo to choose their offer.
