Manchester United linked with €30 million World Cup star

Alex Ferguson is considering a move for Benfica full-back Fabio Coentrão, according to reports in the News of the World.

With Patrice Evra continually linked with a move away from the Theatre of Dreams, a tentative approach is said to have been made about Coentrão’s availability.

Coentrão began his footballing life as a left winger, and spent much of his career struggling to get first team football. He was loaned out to relegated Spanish side Real Zaragoza in 2008, where he didn’t even feature, before being farmed out to his home town club Rio Ave on loan in 2009.

A switch to left-back however (kind of a reverse of Gareth Bale’s situation at Tottenham), absolutely revitalised Coentrão, and he eventually became an integral part of Benfica’s title winning team from December ’09 onwards.

He was Portugal’s best player at the last World Cup, his forward runs continually drawing defences out of position.