Man Utd scouts given almighty shock with transfer target benched, booked, then sent off in 40-man brawl

Man Utd scouts got more than they bargained for when seeing reported transfer target Joao Palhinha benched, booked, then sent off in a 40-man brawl, according to a report.

The Red Devils have found great success when plundering the Portuguese top flight in the past. Cristiano Ronaldo arrived from Sporting Lisbon as a teenager in 2003, while Bruno Fernandes walked that same path in 2020.

Diogo Dalot arrived from bitter rivals FC Porto in 2018, and is now quickly becoming an indispensable option at right-back.

With Portugal proving a happy hunting ground in the past, Sport Witness report United scouts were in attendance for the blockbuster clash between Sporting and Porto on Friday night.

Citing Portuguese outlet O Jogo, it’s claimed 26-year-old Sporting midfielder Joao Palhinha was the most likely target of their scouting mission.

The Portugal international operates primarily in holding midfield, and has also attracted the attention of Wolves and Tottenham.

The Daily Mail revealed Palhinha holds a close relationship with Ronaldo – something that could aid a United pursuit in the summer.

Indeed, revamping their midfield options is expected to be a priority, and Leicester’s Youri Tielemans is another option.

However, United scouts could not have predicted what they saw unfold in the hotly-contested clash.

Firstly, Palhinha was relegated to the bench before coming on in the 55th minute. At that point, Sporting were already down to 10 men after Sebastien Coates had seen red.

The match saw 10 different players carded – including Palhinha – before ending in a 2-2 stalemate, but the drama did not stop there.

After the final whistle, both benches cleared and came together in a 40-man brawl that sprawled from one side of the pitch