Portugal hero Goncalo Ramos 'nearly joined Barcelona in the summer as cover for Robert Lewandowski, but the move collapsed after Memphis Depay stayed at the club' - with his value rising after hat-trick against Switzerland

• e-mail

Barcelona passed on the opportunity to sign Portugal's in-form striker Goncalo Ramos despite advice from super-agent Jorge Mendes, according to reports.

The 21-year-old is the talk of the town after displacing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting line-up for his national side and scored a hat-trick in their 6-1 demolition of Switzerland on Tuesday.

His performances will surely attract attention from a number of top European clubs, but reports claim Barcelona had been advised to sign Ramos prior to the World Cup.

Goncalo Ramos scored a devastating hat-trick for Portugal in the World Cup last-16

Barcelona had been advised to sign the striker prior to the 2022 World Cup commencing 

According to SPORT, super-agent Mendes put forward Ramos' name as a potential option during the summer transfer window. 

Mendes knew the club might have to sign a replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who left to join Chelsea, leaving no back-up to Robert Lewandowski.

In-fact, had Memphis Depay decided to leave the club, it's increasingly likely that the Catalan side would've acted to sign the Benfica wonderkid. 

And after the Dutch striker struggled with injuries in the first-half of the season - only making two LaLiga appearances - there is a chance that Barca will try to sign Ramos.

However, after recent performances, it's likely that Ramos' price-tag has sky-rocketed and may make a deal difficult due to Financial Fair Play restrictions. 

Ex-Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealed a move to Chelsea in the summer

Depay was on the verge of an exit from the Nou Camp but made a late decision to stay 

The 21-year-old forward had maintained a relatively low-profile throughout the World Cup after being utilised mainly as a substitute option.

However, after Portugal boss Fernando Santos fell out with Cristiano Ronaldo, Ramos was called into the starting line-up for the game against Switzerland.

He made his mark in the match after scoring a hat-trick in their dominant 6-1 win which helped Portugal progress to the quarter-finals - where they'll play Morocco. 

The forward has had an emphatic start to the 2022/23 season and has already scored nine goals from 11 league appearances for Benfica - also registering one assist. 

The 21-year-old forward has been on fire for both club and country during the 2022/23 season