Manchester United now appear to know the level of investment required if they want to move seriously for Afonso Moreira this summer, with Lyon already setting a clear valuation for the winger after his breakout campaign in France.
The 21-year-old has become one of the stories of Lyon’s season. Signed from Sporting CP for just €2m (£1.7m) at the start of the campaign, Afonso Moreira has exploded into life under Paulo Fonseca.
He now has eight goals and 11 assists this season, helping Lyon climb into the Ligue 1 Champions League places for the first time since 2019/20. His form has also forced the French club into internal talks over a salary increase, despite his contract already running until 2030.
As we recently covered, Manchester United is one of the clubs with the Portuguese winger firmly on their radar. Serie A and Bundesliga sides are also following him closely.
However, the report now adds an important detail: Lyon are only prepared to consider a sale starting at around €25m (£21.7m).
Lyon know they have a valuable asset
That figure reported by Portuguese newspaper A Bola represents a huge jump from the fee Lyon paid Sporting less than a year ago. It also reflects how quickly Afonso Moreira has established himself in France.
The winger arrived with little fanfare. Now he is one of Lyon’s most productive attacking players and has become increasingly important in manager Paulo Fonseca’s system.
Afonso Moreira’s profile also explains the growing Premier League attention. He is aggressive in one-versus-one situations, accelerates quickly in short spaces and can operate in different tactical setups.
Fonseca has even used him as a wing back in an emergency back-three formation.
Sporting waiting in the background
The Portuguese reports note that Sporting also continue to watch developments carefully because they secured 20% of any future capital gain when selling the player.
That means a €25m (£21.7m) transfer would hand the Portuguese club around €4.6m (£4m).
The clause now looks increasingly valuable given Afonso Moreira’s trajectory. His estimated market value has already climbed to around €10m (£8.7m), but Lyon clearly believe the real figure is considerably higher.
Manchester United does have a special connection with Sporting, so a mutually beneficial deal would not be surprising.
What happens next
Manchester United’s interest arrives during a period when the club are expected to reshape parts of their attack.
Afonso Moreira surely fits the profile the club is now looking for. Still, Lyon are under little pressure to sell, especially if Champions League qualification is secured.
For now, the French side hold the strongest position in negotiations. United and the other interested clubs at least now know the kind of money required to test Lyon’s resolve.
