Man United sent a scout to watch Internacional forward Ricardo Mathias last week, according to reports in Brazil.
Red Devils representative Alexandre Torres was pictured in the stands when Internacional faced Fluminense in the Brazilian Cup on Wednesday.
Globo Esporte claim that Torres was there specifically to keep an eye on Mathias, who came on as a substitute in the second half.
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The 19-year-old was unable to prevent his side from crashing out of the tournament at the last 16 stage, with the 1-1 draw in the second leg not enough to turn around a 2-1 aggregate deficit.
Man United are not the only English team interested
Even though the Manchester side are clearly keen on Mathias, Globo Esporte say that “another Premier League club” has already “sent a letter” registering their interest.
Whether that means they will table a formal bid before the transfer window closes, it remains to be seen, but the Red Devils are not really in a position to challenge them.
Mathias’s release clause is reportedly €65m (£56m), and while he may be available for below that amount, Ruben Amorim’s side have only just shelled out £74m on Benjamin Sesko.
There is unlikely to be room in the budget to snap up the Brazilian teenager, especially as the club are also hoping to secure the services of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba.
What do fans need to know about Mathias?
The striker came through Internacional’s youth system and he made his senior debut against Athletico Paranaense in August last year.
Since then, Mathias has made 18 appearances for the first team, scoring 5 goals. He is also a Brazilian Under-20 international, having particularly impressed in one game at the South American Championship back in February.
He came on for the final 20 minutes in the final group match against Chile, going on to score and provide an assist during a 3-0 victory.
Read more about the Manchester United First Team Squad for 2025/26 here