Name: Nicolas Gaitan

Age: 23

Position: Attacking midfielder

Current Club: Benfica

Nationality: Argentine

Caps: 6 (0 goal)

Estimated fee: £20-30m

Likely destinations: Manchester United, Inter Milan

2011-12 stats: 50 games, 3 goals and 7 assists

A replacement for Angel di María when the winger was snared by Real Madrid in 2010, few would have thought Gaitain would turn into such an able replacement to his compatriot, despite being the second most expensive purchase in the history of the 32-time Portuguese champions. The playmaker, who has been dubbed the ‘Argentine Cristiano Ronaldo’ has a buy-out clause of £38 million but could be tempted away for less than that figure, and Manchester United reportedly came close to reaching a deal to secure the player in an advanced transfer deal a few months ago.