Nicolas Gaitan

United reported to have agreed a fee for the future transfer of Benficas Argentine winger/playmaker Nicolas Gaitan.

The agent Jorge Mendes has cemented his position as a major driver of Manchester United's transfer business by brokering the deal which is likely to see Benfica's Argentinian midfielder Nicolas Gaitan sign for Sir Alex Ferguson at a price of €35m (£29.3m) next summer.

Mendes, who has delivered Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson, David de Gea and Bebe to Old Trafford in the past eight years, is a respected figure at Old Trafford and helped secure the informal agreement which, the Independent on Sunday revealed, should make Gaitan a United player next June. Benfica did not deny the story yesterday.

The negotiating process has been complicated by a €45m (£37.7m) release clause, which United had categorically refused to meet, written into a new contract signed by the 23-year-old in October. Gaitan is also one of a number of players at the Portuguese club who are effectively only part-owned by Benfica, a proportion of their economic rights having been sold to the Benfica Stars Fund, a football investment fund set up in 2009 to raise short-term money for the club. Around 15 per cent of any transfer fee for Gaitan – around £5.25m – would have to be paid into the fund upon completion of the proposed move to Manchester.

Benfica's requirement to pay Boca Juniors 20 per cent of the final transfer fee – probably £7m – under the terms of the deal by which they signed him in May 2010, also explains the Portuguese side's firm negotiating stance. But after United's scouting efforts left them satisfied Gaitan could play a major part for them, Mendes has helped find a way through the complications. Gaitan's agent is Rafael Irribarren, though Mendes also concluded the deal which delivered Gaitan to Lisbon, 18 months ago. It remains to be seen what will happen if another club comes in with a far higher offer this summer.

While no firm contractual agreement has been reached between the clubs, The Independent understands that the loosely agreed deal could potentially see United paying up to €40m (£33.5m) if Gaitan has a particularly prolific second half to the season. The final fee will be contingent on the player's appearances and performances. Sources in Portugal say that United's own performances in domestic and European competition may also affect the final figure.

United's agreement with Benfica does not appear to involve a move for Gaitan's fellow midfielder Javi Garcia, who also impressed in this autumn's fixtures against United in the Champions League. This newspaper revealed earlier this month that United had asked Benfica to notify them of any moves from other clubs for both Garcia and Gaitan, who is also understood to have been the subject of interest from Valencia. United scouts watched both players at Benfica's recent matches against Naval and Sporting Lisbon – specifically to develop a clearer picture on them, rather than to prepare for United's encounter with Benfica on 22 November, in which both played.

Though Gaitan's services would be of immediate value to Ferguson, Benfica fans would respond fiercely to any sale in January. Many of them still blame the club's board for ceding the title back to Porto last season, having sold Angel di Maria to Real Madrid and David Luiz to Chelsea within six months of taking their first championship in five years. Benfica and arch-rivals Porto are again neck and neck at the top.

Third-party ownership arrangements are rare in Portugal, though Luiz fell into the same category as Gaitan in January, when £6.4m had to be paid into the Benfica Stars fund. Benfica's brinkmanship made that transfer complicated, though United's informal agreement may smooth progress this time around.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/30m-gaitan-on-way-to-united-6279046.html

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-F...2011/Dec/Papers-United-to-bid-for-Gaitan.aspx

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11667/7387489/United-have-held-Gaitan-talks-


A full international before 20, he's a reserved character, supremely gifted and admired by Sir Alex Ferguson.

No, we're not talking about Phil Jones or his Manchester United teammate Chris Smalling, but Nicolas Gaitan, the exciting Benfica winger, whose not only won public praise from Sir Alex, but also younger brother Martin, United's chief scout.

The Argentine has just returned to Europe after a recall to the national team by new coach Alejandro Sabella. Flying in the Champions League with Benfica, Gaitan was singled out by United manager Ferguson after last month's 1-1 draw in Lisbon. The previous week, Martin Ferguson was spotted at a Benfica game on a scouting trip and confessed his admiration for the 20 year-old.

Gaitan's agent, Jose Iribarren, has already acknowledged the interest of bigger clubs since the start of the season: "I know there are big clubs watching Gaitán, but so far no one has contacted me to express interest in an official way."

While Ferguson pulled back on Wesley Sneijder, the Inter Milan playmaker, over concerns he would block the progress of midfield-types like Paul Pogba and Ryan Tunnicliffe, it can be argued Gaitan offers something different to what United's FA Youth Cup winners possess.

A left-sided winger blessed with pace and dynamic individual skill, Gaitan was signed 18 months ago by Benfica as a direct replacement for Angel di Maria, following his sale to Real Madrid. While some inside the club questioned shelling out €8.4 million for the then Boca Juniors prospect, they took assurance from the famed Argentine talent spotter, Ramón Maddoni, that this kid was the real deal.

Fernando Redondo, Carlos Tevez, Esteban Cambiasso, Juan Roman Riquelme, Juan Pablo Sorin, Fernando Gago, Emilio Insúa, the list runs long of Argentine players first uncovered by the canny eye of Maddoni.

Of Gaitan, he's as enthusiastic as he was when first seeing Manchester City striker Tevez and Boca legend Riquelme.

"Within two to three years, Nico will be worth €40 million," Maddoni defiantly says. "He has all the ability to bring as much joy to Benfica fans as Di Maria did.

"He's at the same level as Di Maria. He has a great change of pace and is very intelligent."

It was Maddoni who first spotted Gaitan for Boca when just eight years of age playing futsal for Jose Paz, just outside the capital, Buenos Aries.

While frail, Gaitan displayed plenty of talent as Maddoni explained, "We just worked on the fundamentals. He had the ability, the speed, the aggression. We just worked to improve this further."

Even before breaking into the Boca first team, the club's massive support were already well aware of Gaitan, with the young teen being dubbed 'El Canhoto Maravilha' - 'The Lefty Wonder'.

For all the excitement Gaitan brings to fans, his reserved nature is almost legendary in Argentina. The midfielder is known for his love of an afternoon kip and his humility has charmed the usually ruthless local media corp.

While at Boca, his agent offered to buy Gaitan a car. But the midfielder knocked it back, insisting he was happier travelling to and from the training ground on the train with his teammates.

"I was with my friends," he says, "and if I'm happy with how things are, why change?"

Even the reaction to his first call-up to the senior Argentina squad suggests Gaitan isn't likely to allow the game's riches to go to his head.

"Diego (Maradona) often calls me to see how I am," recalls Gaitan, who is close to the Boca and Argentine icon. "I thought he was just seeing how I was.

"But then he told me I'd been selected. I couldn't believe it. I don't think anyone did when it was made public. But psychologically, it was a very important step for me."

At Boca, as Maddoni conceded, there were doubts about him physically and Gaitan almost quit after spending a season training with the first team, but without actually getting a call.

But others recognised his talent and at 18, Almeria came in for him with a €750,000 offer for a four-year option. But both Boca and Gaitan turned it down.

"Maddoni always told me to stay with Boca, because he trusted that I would play. He gave the example of Gago (of Real Madrid), who played in the juniors for some time and later left as a star," says Gaitan.

Less than two years after that Almeria offer, Gaitan was being sold to Benfica for €8.4 million and is now on the wanted lists of Europe's biggest clubs, including United.

But the Premier League champions will face competition for the Argentine should Benfica choose to sell.

As Iribarren warns, Gaitan's profile is fast growing across Europe, with Inter Milan scouts among those keeping United's reps company at the Estádio da Luz this season.

Benfica's board are pleased with themselves, having just secured Gaitan's signature to a new five-year contract. But many observers believe the move is just in preparation of a sale in 2012, with his new deal including a £40 million buyout clause. Benfica know Gaitan won't push for a move and can use his release clause as a jumping off point for any expected auction.

Indeed, despite the new contract, the midfielder remains on Ferguson's radar, with intermediaries making it known that the Scot sees Gaitan as a more affordable alternative to Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder. While predominantly a winger, Ferguson's spies are convinced the youngster can be used centrally.

Quiet, humble and tipped for greatness, all Gaitan is missing is the ginger hair and you can see why Ferguson has been so determined in his pursuit of the young lad from San Martin.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/n....cessor-2024411#

Nice article about the lad, good to hear he is a level headed bloke, which should hopefully change our luck with Argentines.

 

Any new attacking CM would be welcome. Could we make Anderson part of the deal and then go for a CM who can put his foot in?

 

Im losing faith with Anderson myself and I had a lot of confidence in the lad, the ability is there, no doubt about that but his overall fitness is atrocious.Have we bought ourselves a Brazilian party boy?A few pounds in the bank and his desire for the game goes out the window, I hope not but sadly its looking more and more likely.

 

Wonder would he like to go to Benfica?

 

Not sure he would go to Benfica as he talks fondly of Porto.I want him to stay as I fear he will reach his potential soon after we lose patience with him!

 

I say keep Ando. We don't need to be losing any midfielders. Just gaining one or two.

 

It will be interesting to see what SAF does with the midfield when Cleverly and Anderson are back,Carrick and Jones are performing quite well together at the moment so will we go back to the Clev-Ando partnership that worked well at the start of the season or mix and match.If Valencia stays fit we will create more chances then without him,4 assists in 2 games is great considering he was injured and on the bench instead of Young,but yeah I would also like to keep Anderson

 

but i think tha he will be the one most likely to leave of those you have refered to !

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I like Anderson and really want to see him reach is potential with united.

But that lad needs to stop getting injured.

Giggs will be retiring before long, he cant last forever and who knows when Fletcher will be back. That bowel condition of his is recurring, so I don't see why he has to sell anyone yet unless he has serious plans to introduce Pogba or Morrison next year.

 

Mix and match is a fair bet Dave!How long did SAF go without naming the same team two games running?I think he wanted to be called "The Tinkerman" there for a while.