Enzo Perez Transfer News: Could Man United Hijack Valencia’s Move for Benfica Midfielder?

Manchester United could make a move for Benfica’s Enzo Perez.
Enzo Perez Transfer News: Could Man United Hijack Valencia’s Move for Benfica Midfielder?
Enzo Perez of Argentina during a press conference at Cidade do Galo on June 22, 2014 in Vespasiano, Brazil. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
7/9/2014
Updated:
7/9/2014

Manchester United could make a move for Benfica’s Enzo Perez.

The 28-year-old Argentine international had an excellent last season with Benfica, and is tipped for a £20 million ($34.3 million) move to La Liga side Valencia.

However, according to the Mirror, Manchester United could swop in and poach Perez away from Valencia.

Perez recently signed a new four-year-contract with Benfica.

After Argentina’s defeat of Belgium in the World Cup quarter final, Perez said, “There is the possibility of playing for Valencia, who are a great club, but right now I want to be fully focused on the Argentina national team and on the World Cup.”

“I am very happy at Benfica, I signed the contract renewal before traveling to join the Argentina squad, which shows that I want to keep wearing this shirt.

“I am feeling very well at Benfica and I know the club will try to do the best for me. I'll respect what they decide.”

See an AP article here.

Sabella: Argentine Messi is the ‘Best of Them All’

SAO PAULO (AP) — Normally a reserved man who avoids hype, Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella isn’t shy about declaring Lionel Messi to be the best player in the world.

Comparing the Argentina captain with Arjen Robben of the Netherlands and Brazil’s Neymar, Sabella on Tuesday held up Messi as the undisputed No. 1.

“Robben is a great player. He is very important for Holland. Like Neymar is for Brazil and Messi for Argentina,” Sabella said. “Each of them is important for their teams but Messi is the best of them all.”

After a disappointing World Cup four years ago, Messi has carried Argentina into the semifinals in Brazil, scoring four goals — the same tally Neymar reached before injury ruled him out of the tournament. Robben, who faces Argentina in the second semifinal on Wednesday, has scored three.

Though he’s been named world player of the year for times for his accomplishments with Barcelona, Messi hasn’t had the same kind of success with Argentina, which hasn’t won a major title since the 1993 Copa America.

This is the first time since 1990 that Argentina has reached a World Cup semifinal, which Sabella said was a victory in itself.

“After 24 years Argentina is among the four best teams in the world,” Sabella said. “I think this group of players has already won. Let’s see if we can win even more.”

If it does win the semifinal, Argentina won’t have to worry about rival Brazil in the title game. Sabella was just as stunned as everyone else to see Brazil lose 7-1 to Germany in the first semifinal, a game Argentina’s players watched the end of on TV at Itaquerao Stadium, even delaying their training session for around 20 minutes.

Sabella said the heavy defeat for Brazil was clearly “not normal.”

“But in football you have to expect these things,” Sabella said. “It’s football. It’s the most illogical of sports. Things happen that you cannot foresee.”

 

 

Larry Ong is a New York-based journalist with Epoch Times. He writes about China and Hong Kong. He is also a graduate of the National University of Singapore, where he read history.