Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on Brazilian international midfielder Danilo, who had an unsuccessful previous experience in the Premier League.
After signing Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48 million and triggering Youri Tielemans’ release clause by paying £35 million to Aston Villa, MUFC still need one more player to complete the midfield revamp.
Kobbie Mainoo is the only survivor from last season, as Casemiro left to join Inter Miami on a free transfer, while Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious injury at the World Cup that could rule him out for the bulk of the campaign.
Man United keeping tabs on Botafogo’s Danilo
Over the past few days, Manu Kone emerged as Man Utd’s top candidate for the role, with some sources in Italy claiming that INEOS have an agreement in principle with the player’s entourage. Either way, they still have to negotiate a deal with Roma, who are gunning for at least £51 million.
Kone isn’t the only French international on the shortlist, as The Sun journalist Samuel Luckhurst insists that Aurelien Tchouameni’s arrival remains a real possibility, with Real Madrid open to cashing in on the 26-year-old.
While developments on both fronts are expected in the coming days, the BBC reveals that Man Utd are keeping other tracks alive, including the one that leads to Danilo.
Danilo’s Stats by Club Appearances Goals Assists
Palmeieras 141 12 9
Nottingham Forest 62 6 4
Botafogo 41 11 7
The 25-year-old is a Palmeiras youth product who joined Nottingham Forest on a £18 million transfer in January 2023, but struggled to settle at the City Ground.
The midfielder returned to Brazil through the gates of Botafogo in the summer of 2025. However, his current employers are looking to cash in on his services this summer, capitalising on his World Cup experience, as he made four appearances for the Selecao.
While his former club Palmeiras is keen to bring him back, Botafogo prefer to sell Danilo abroad, with Man Utd and Newcastle willing to give him a second chance in the Premier League.
Should Man United consider bringing in Danilo?
After signing a midfield enforcer in Santos and a deep-lying playmaker in Tielemans, many observers believe Man Utd need to round off the department by recruiting an energetic box-to-box midfielder who can carry the ball forward.
While Danilo seems to tick all the right boxes from a stylistic point of view, many would argue that the club needs to pursue a player of a higher calibre.
The Brazilian’s stint at Forest could be held against him, but it may have served as a learning experience that helped shape him into the player he is today.
Danilo might not be a world-class midfielder by any means, but he did enough to warrant a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad at the expense of other notable Brazilians.
That being said, if United are bringing in a box-to-box midfielder, they could hardly do better than Kone, while Alex Scott is another interesting option, albeit highly expensive.
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been passionately following Man United for over 20 years. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Utd Report, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali has been a Featured Writer on other websites including Juve FC, and The Cult of Calcio, and Stretty News.
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