Manchester United and Manchester City have both performed well below expectations in the 2024/25 Premier League season thus far, though that means very different things for these two clubs.
Man City are used to winning the Premier League title, so their status as a club not even guaranteed to reach the Champions League is, in a way, just as much of a shock as it is to see Man United still toiling in the bottom half of the league table despite a very active summer transfer window – and a new ownership group and manager at the helm.
Both Manchester United and Manchester City could use a splash in the summer 2025 transfer window, and the two Premier League powerhouses are headed back to the Portuguese top flight for a potential boost.
Trincao could be the next Bruno Fernandes in England
According to a report from A Bola in Portugal, both Man United and Man City are interested in signing Sporting CP playmaker Francisco Trincao, a former Barcelona academy standout.
Trincao never made it in Barca, but he has been big-time in the Portuguese league. There’s a case to be made that he’s been even better than teammate Viktor Gyokeres, one of the most hyped breakout strikers in world football and another major Manchester United transfer target in summer 2025.
Man United manager Ruben Amorim coached Trincao at Sporting CP to great effect, bringing out the best in the attacking midfielder/winger. Bruno Fernandes, Man U’s current best player, was a superstar for Sporting before joining United successfully and that transition may play into the club’s decision to pursue him.
Manchester City are arguably in even bigger need of a playmaker like Trincao, as Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Portuguese star Bernardo Silva are all rapidly declining.
Trincao could step in and legitimately start for either club, based on his numbers this season at Sporting. The 25-year-old has scored 8 goals with 10 assists, averaging 2.2 key passes, 1.6 tackles, 2.5 dribbles completed, and 1.7 fouls drawn per game for a stunning all-around stat line.
No other player in the Primeira Liga is making as much of an all-around impact in the attack as Trincao, and both Manchester City and Manchester United could use someone who is creating chances at this volume while still offering one-on-one threat and work rate.
Trincao could be a great partner in crime for Bruno on Man United, or he could be the heir apparent to the 30-year-old Bernardo Silva in either a midfield role or an inverted wing gig at the Etihad.
