The £39m risky second-chance transfer Man United need to swerve at all costs this summer

Few players spent as much time in last summer’s gossip columns as Richard Ríos, a Colombian midfielder whose performances at the Club World Cup with Palmeiras encouraged the rumourmongers to link him with Manchester United and many others. Now, a year after he moved to Benfica instead, he’s back in the headlines, and United could be getting set for a second bite of the cherry.

According to Sport Witness, reports from the Colombian media suggest that the Red Devils have once again expressed interest in Ríos – with other teams from England and Europe also getting mentions. But is the 25-year-old worthy of a second look, or should United let Ríos pass them by once more?

Richard Ríos – an all-round talent yet to truly take off in Europe

Ríos’ work with Palmeiras caught plenty of scouts’ eyes last summer and there seem to have been few elite teams in Europe who didn’t take a close look at him – but it was Benfica who took the plunge after months of speculation, signing the Colombia international for a reported €27m (£23m).

Since arriving in Portugal, he has offered a mixed impression. The qualities that stood out in Brazil – his dynamic movement and ability to exploit space between midfield and defence, his passing range and hard work off the ball – have all been in evidence, but perhaps not quite as consistently as his new club might have liked.

There has been criticism from Portuguese pundits over his up-and-down performances, his lack of physicality and his habit of failing to find his form in Benfica’s biggest games. Against the Primeira Liga’s lesser lights he has often shone, but he hasn’t hit his stride in the Champions League – he was indifferent against both Chelsea and Newcastle – and has looked like something of a flat-track bully.

A mid-season lull which coincided with a shoulder injury didn’t help, but he remains a regular starter under José Mourinho and put in a superb performance against Moreirense last weekend, scoring one when the opposing goalkeeper allowed a low shot to go through him, providing another with a neat lay-off and showcasing his technique and dancing feet with a mazy run inside the area to create another good chance. Thanks to Ríos’s performance on Saturday, Benfica remain on track to go unbeaten in the league.

An unorthodox box-to-box midfielder who presses hard and wins possession back with impressive regularity, there’s a comparison to be drawn with West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, another midfielder whose combination of hard graft in defence and dynamic playmaking on the ball allows him to impact all three phases of play. The question is whether Ríos can bring those talents to bear week after week and against the biggest clubs. It’s one he hasn’t convincingly answered.

There’s also a debate to be had over how he might slot into Manchester United’s squad were they to make a bid. Not a true defensive midfielder, his natural role in Michael Carrick’s system would likely be as competition for Kobbie Mainoo in the more advanced of the two midfield roles – but United may perhaps need a true anchorman to replace Casemiro more urgently. Ríos would offer depth rather than a clear-cut starter, and could look like something of a luxury signing, especially if he was to struggle with the physical demands of the Premier League, one potential risk.

There’s unquestionable quality there, and Ríos remains a player who flashes genuine class at his best. So how likely is it that Manchester United take a chance on him – and who else is in the mix?

Will Manchester United bid for Ríos this summer – or could Fulham get there first?

For all the questions about Ríos himself, it’s also fair to query whether Manchester United are serious suitors. Members of the Colombian media may be getting excited at the prospect, but other sources suggest that different teams could be interested.

Fulham, for instance, have been mentioned as a side who could make a move, while Portuguese newspaper O Jogo suggests that Napoli are keen. That latter story makes a certain amount of sense given that Ríos’ best performance in Europe so far came against the Italian outfit in December – another game in which he scored one, assisted another and looked imperious throughout. Napoli have seen Ríos at his best, up close.

The long and short of it is that reports linking Ríos with a move away are all over the place. O Jogo reckons that Benfica would sell for £30m and that Napoli are favourites. Other stories suggest £39m, or that Fulham have already opened negotiations. Some still suggest that Benfica aren’t really looking to sell at all, and will only do so if a club breaks the bank for him.

Manchester United’s name will grab some headlines while it’s in the mix because of their alleged interest last summer, but the connection is no more tangible than it is for any other side as it stands. There may be some interest, or they may have many names ahead of Ríos on their shortlist. They have, after all, been linked with dozens of midfielders over the course of the last six months. Ríos is one more name thrown into the blender.

His work at Benfica hasn’t suggested a player who would leapfrog the likes of Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Angelo Stiller in United’s estimation – but with a new director of football in place and a new manager (and perhaps another new manager still to come), it’s difficult to know which direction of travel the club might take in the coming transfer window.

Until a broader range of sources start making the link, we’re sceptical of Manchester United’s alleged interest – and sceptical that he would be the kind of difference maker that they need in midfield. But Ríos is a player with technique, style and élan. Whether he stays at Benfica or moves again, it wouldn’t be surprising if he finds a club at which he can develop into a star.