Manchester United ready to beat European rivals to 'the new Neymar' in huge statement of intent: report

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Manchester United are looking to snare a Brazilian wonderkid wanted by a host of superclubs across the continent

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag arrives prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on May 13, 2023 in Manchester, England.
(Image credit: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Manchester United are closing in on a player who has been described as "the next Neymar", as Erik ten Hag looks to increase the attacking options in his squad.

The Red Devils pulled off a dramatic comeback at the weekend against Nottingham Forest to win 3-2 at Old Trafford after falling 2-0 behind in the first five minutes. While United showed resilience and steel, however, the attacking options available to Ten Hag were questioned once more.

The Dutchman is still waiting for marquee forward signing Rasmus Hojlund to return from injury and would ideally love to bring another attacker into his squad to ease the burden on the likes of Marcus Rashford. 

Rasmus Hojlund of Manchester United walks out to greet the fans ahead of the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and RC Lens at Old Trafford on August 05, 2023 in Manchester, England.

Rasmus Hojlund is yet to play for Manchester United (Image credit: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Manchester United are chasing Brazilian wonderkid Marcos Leonardo to bolster their options in the final third.

Named at No.35 in FFT's 2023 list of the most exciting teenagers in world football, Leonardo has been likened to Neymar in the past for his precocious talents. Coming through at Santos, just the like the most expensive footballer of all time, Leonardo has been tipped to make the move to Europe in the coming years.  

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The report has claimed that Roma are exploring a move for the 20-year-old in January but that United could blow them out the water – sending a message to rivals about how serious they are about competing for silverware both now and in the coming years. 

United are apparently willing to pay £17 million up front to bring the starlet to the Premier League, with add-ons potentially raising the deal above £21m.

Marcos Leonardo of Santos celebrate after scoring the first goal of his team during a Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2022 round of sixteen second leg match between Santos and Deportivo Tachira at Vila Belmiro Stadium on July 06, 2022 in Santos, Brazil.

Marcos Leonardo of Santos could be Premier League-bound (Image credit: Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images)

United are said to be chasing another defender before Friday's deadline, as well as Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat. 

Leonardo is valued by Transfermarkt to be worth €17m.

More Manchester United stories

Manchester United transfer news is coming thick and fast as we enter the final weeks of the summer window.

Harry Maguire could be one of seven players on their way out of Old Trafford between now and deadline day. Meanwhile, a World Cup-winning star could be about to join United from another European heavyweight.

The Manchester United season preview looks at why the Red Devils can start to dream of winning the Premier League title again, while all other 91 clubs in the top four tiers of English football are looked at, too.

Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.