Manchester United have now reportedly made contact to sign 18-year-old Salvador Blopa from Sporting CP in an attempt to jump ahead of Real Madrid in the race for his signature.
Those at Old Trafford have kept an eye on the transfer market ever since the summer window slammed shut and with things looking up on the pitch, they could be well-placed to welcome a number of upgrades in 2026.
Ruben Amorim’s side entered the November international break without a defeat in five games, having drawn twice and won three to move up to seventh in the Premier League.
Whilst their wait for five wins in a row is ongoing, there’s no doubt that the Red Devils have taken a significant step. Whether that continues after the international break is the big question.
Man United will play host to Everton in what should be seen as a winnable game at Old Trafford against former manager David Moyes. They then face struggling sides West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in two of their next five games in a run that should see them push on even further.
Amorim’s not getting ahead of himself, however. After rescuing a late draw against Tottenham last time out, he told reporters that his side still have plenty of problems to solve.
“We have a lot of problems. We are just in the beginning. I know that sometimes the results show to people that we are improving, but we have a lot to do.
“You can divide the game in the final 10 minutes, also when we have to take out Harry Maguire and Casemiro at the same time, then suffer two goals, then losing [Sesko], even before the second goal with a big opportunity.”
It’s a sign of the high standards that the Man United boss holds and INEOS could yet help him to meet those standards by turning to the transfer market once again in 2026.
Man Utd have ‘held conversations’ to sign Blopa
As relayed by TeamTalk, Man United have now ‘held conversations’ to sign Blopa from Sporting CP and jump ahead of Real Madrid in the transfer race in the process. The 18-year-old can play right midfield, right-back and left midfield as one of the most versatile players that Sporting have to offer.
Out of all those positions, he’d likely solve Amorim’s right wing-back problem. As things stand, it’s Amad Diallo or Noussair Mazraoui in the role, but Blopa’s emergence could quickly cause United a much-welcomed selection headache down that side.
The interest from Real Madrid and those at Old Trafford in Blopa should also come as little surprise. The teenager scored twice on his Sporting debut and earned praise from current manager Rui Borges, who told reporters: “Tactically he gave us what we wanted.
“In the B team he sometimes plays on the right and other times on the left, sometimes higher and sometimes lower. He’s a kid with very unique characteristics, athletic, and physically he’s going to grow immensely more.”
The Red Devils have built a reputation of turning Sporting’s stars into world stars and the versatile defender could be next.
