January Bristol City target now linked to Man Utd & valued at £50m was likely never in reach: View | OneFootball

Bristol City target Rodrigo Muniz looks unlikely to make the move to the Championship after he picked up his form for Fulham in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old has come out of nowhere to bag the goals for Fulham this season, after failing to pull up trees in previous campaigns.

He joined the London club in 2021, signing from Brazilian side Flamengo on a five-year deal. He scored just five times in his first season in the Championship, before bagging only twice for Middlesbrough in a disappointing loan spell.

Muniz was linked with a loan move to Bristol City in January, after struggling for game time at Fulham. This move never came to be, and he remained at his parent club beyond the closure of the transfer window. His commitment was rewarded with game time, and the Brazilian began a fantastic run of form.

After scoring his first Premier League goal against Burnley in February, he went on to net eight times between February and April. He scored eight times in ten matches for the Cottagers. This has attracted more interest for the player, who could leave the club once the season concludes.

Manchester United are linked with a move for Muniz

After his impressive form for Fulham, Muniz has been linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer.

GiveMeSport reported that the club want to sign the forward, although the £50 million price tag being touted will prove a massive outlay for the Red Devils.

Following the big-money signings of the likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho in the past few years, the club will be hesitant in throwing big sums of money at players who have not proven themselves as top stars in the Premier League yet.

However, with players like Antony Martial and Raphael Varane set to leave the club on free transfers in the summer, the United wage budget will be free of their gargantuan wages. This gives United more maneuverability in the transfer market, and makes the £50 million move for Muniz more of a realistic possibility.

However, signing another young striker after the £72 million move for Rasmus Hojlund in the summer may not be the best option for the club. Nevertheless, his eight goals so far for Fulham will have impressed Erik Ten Hag, and he could make a move for the forward once the season ends.

Muniz price-tag completely takes Bristol City out of race

The £50 million price tag being touted has removed The Robins from contention to sign the forward.

The club's record signing was Tomas Kalas for under £8 million, so spending £50 million on any player is simply out of the question at any level, let alone the Championship.

The odds of Muniz joining the club, even if they could afford the fee, were low. Fulham are not blessed with an impressive strikeforce. They have only scored 47 times in the league, with eight of those coming from Muniz in the last ten matches.

Losing him would have put a huge dent in their arsenal, which would have been a huge risk as they still had a chance of being drawn into a relegation battle.

It is also unlikely Muniz would have wanted to dropdown to the second tier again, following spells with Boro and Fulham in the Championship. The move to Bristol City was a pipe dream for the Robins, and the transfer to United seems much more likely, even with the hurdles a £50m price-tag might throw up.