Manchester United officials are reportedly already in Brazil to try and tie up a deal for 19-year-old midfielderLucas Moura as son as possible. The Daily Mail has reported that the chief scout Jim Lawlor flew to Rio on Wednesday and the club secretary John Alexander is on standby as United attempt to get a deal wrapped up before Brazil begin their pre-Olympic campaign with a friendly against the Great Britain.
Lucas is already with the Brazil squad at a training camp to the south of Rio although he claimed earlier this week that he was leaving everything up to his agent and his dad. His representatives had talks last week with Inter Milan, though Lucas claims not to have discussed the meeting with them.
Lucas’s club side, Sao Paulo, claim to have rejected a £32million bid from Chelsea in May so the Mail’s report that United are hoping to snatch Lucas for £25million sounds unusual. However, whatever interest Chelsea had at that time appears to have cooled, something which suggests all was not how it seemed with the supposed bid from Stamford Bridge.
Although Real Madrid are also said to be interested the Spanish champions have priorities elsewhere in their squad so at the moment it looks like a two-horse race between United and Inter. The Italian side are believed to have submitted a bid worth £20million which has been described as ‘inadequate’ by Sao Paulo.
Sir Alex claimed yesterday that United would make ‘one or two’ more signings this summer and speculation suggests that Moura and Everton full-back Leighton Baines are United’s chief targets.
United have been linked with a £12million move for the 27-year-old Baines who is rated at £17million by the Toffees.
