Manchester United leading chase for Brazilian wonderkid
By Mitch Wilks
Manchester United have gone 'behind the scenes' to win the race for Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Veron, according to a report.
The 18-year-old currently plies his trade with Palmeiras and has attracted interest from Europe - as is the case with most Brazilian youngsters - following a promising start to life as a professional.
Veron is often deployed on the right flank for Palmeiras but can operate on either wing and has managed five goals and three assists from 20 appearances in the current Brazilian season.
The Red Devils are currently working to secure his services ahead of the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City and Juventus. That is according to the Daily Star at least, who cite Spanish outlet Sport as the original source - via Sport Witness - where Veron is linked to the European giants.
The reports state that it is actually Barcelona who are in 'control' of Veron's situation moving forward, although upcoming presidential elections could complicate and halt moving for the teenager, who is said to have a £53m release clause in his contract.
United, along with City and Juventus, are set to 'move behind the scenes' as a result to hijack the move, with Veron valued around the £18m mark despite the release clause. Veron made his senior debut in late 2019 and is a regular at Brazil youth levels, winning the Golden Ball at the Under-17 World Cup that same year.
While United are the name being attributed to Veron, it's their noisy neighbours who have recent business with Palmeiras. The Citizens signed Gabriel Jesus from the Brazilian outfit in 2017 for a fee of roughly £27m.
There is likely some truth in the fact that Veron is being watched by a number of European heavyweights, including the names mentioned. But while that is the case, it feels unlikely that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are as close to landing him as the report is making out, certainly in January.