Manchester United to battle Chelsea and Arsenal for prodigy named after Lionel Messi - Reports
Manchester United are set to enter the race to sign Brazilian youngster Willian Estevao, who has been likened to a young Lionel Messi. The Red Devils will have to do battle with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Barcelona to secure the signing of the talented youngster.
Clubs around Europe have made it a point to target some of the brightest youngsters around the world in recent months, as they look to catch them early. The success of Real Madrid with Brazilian starlet Endrick comes up, and his teammate at Palmeiras is another being closely followed.
Nicknamed 'Messinho' for his sweet left foot, Willian Estevao is seen as the cream of the crop at Palmeiras, so much so that they turned down a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) offer for him in 2022. Still only 16, the winger has a good number of suitors, including Chelsea, Barcelona and Arsenal.
Eager to not fall behind their rivals, Manchester United have entered the race for the teenager, according to a CaughtOffside report. The Red Devils, who have also been linked with 16-year-old Franco Mastantuono, are increasingly eager to sign the best youngsters in the world.
Estevao has made no secret of his desire to play for Barcelona, but Chelsea have made significant inroads towards signing him in recent months. Manchester United will have to find a way to jump to the front of the queue by convincing the player and his club to allow him to join them.
Willian Estevao is being eased into senior football by Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira just as Endrick was, and he has made four senior appearances this year. The teenager has also featured five times for the U-20 side, with four goals and two assists to his name.
Defender included in Manchester United squad after two-month layoff
Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez is back with the Manchester United squad as they are set to take on Brentford in the Premier League. The 26-year-old was spotted at Manchester airport as the team prepares to travel to London for their away clash.
Martinez has been out for nearly eight weeks following an injury picked up in January, and has featured only eight times in the league this season. The Argentine center-back was sorely missed by the side, but will now return to action.
The Red Devils lost this fixture by four unanswered goals last season, their only defeat to Brentford in the last five meetings between them. They are firm favourites to emerge with all three points, especially after their recent win over Liverpool.