Barcelona rejected chance to sign FIFA World Cup star in the summer - Reports
Barcelona rejected the chance to sign Portugal's 2022 FIFA World Cup star, Goncalo Ramos, according to Spanish news outlet, AS.
The 21-year-old shot to stardom for his incredible hat trick in Selecao's 6-1 drubbing of Switzerland in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Until then, he didn't play a single minute of their Qatar 2022 campaign, and head coach Fernando Santos made a bold decision to drop Cristiano Ronaldo in favor of the young gun.
The move paid off decisively, with Ramos netting three times on his FIFA World Cup debut, also marking the first treble of the ongoing tournament.
It immediately sparked interest from many European clubs, and it turns out that he was on Barcelona's radar a few months back too, with Jorge Mendes offering him to them.
Jorge Mendes offered Gonçalo Ramos to Barcelona last summer in case Memphis Depay left.
— @sport https://t.co/CboT0Wc6TO
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returning to Chelsea in the summer, the Blaugrana were looking for someone to partner Robert Lewandowski upfront, especially if Memphis Depay were to also leave.
However, the Dutchman ended up staying at Camp Nou, and a transfer for Ramos didn't materialize, although the club could now be kicking themselves for that.
Ramos had a fantastic start to the 2022-23 season with Benfica, netting 14 goals in 20 games, including nine in 11 Primeira Liga matches.
Depay, on the other hand, made only three appearances in all competitions in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring just once.
Goncalo Ramos is the youngest man to score a hat trick in a FIFA World Cup knock-out match after Pele 👶👏 https://t.co/WxDQgDYtvM
However, with the winter transfer window coming up, Barcelona could revive interest in the Portuguese breakout star as they hold the player in high regard.
Not only does the club think he can ably complement Lewandowski, but Ramos also excels inside the box and possesses devastating finishing skills.
The player may not come cheap though, with his transfer value skyrocketing after his heroics this week, and with strong interest from a few Premier League clubs too.
Either way, Benfica are going to have a hard time holding on to his service after this World Cup, as Ramos looks set to join the likes of Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, and Darwin Nunez, who all made big-money transfers from the club.
Portugal face Morocco in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals
Portugal will face Morocco on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in a thrilling contest.
The Selecao may seem like favorites on paper, but the Atlas Lions have been the tournament's biggest dark horses.
They topped a group featuring Croatia and Belgium before knocking out Spain on penalties in the last 16.