Manager confirms Man Utd talks with Brazilian wonderkid

Tom Weber

Updated: 24 Aug 2024 17:01 BST
3 min read

Erik ten Hag, Man Utd, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Flamengo manager Tite has confirmed that Manchester United have enquired about Wesley.

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The 20-year-old right-back has caught the attention of European clubs with his performances for Flamengo. Despite his youth, Wesley already has 86 senior appearances to his name.

Earlier this month, the Brazilian was on the verge of sealing a €20 million move to Europa League winners Atalanta only for the deal to get cancelled at the last minute. Wesley had agreed a five-year contract with the Serie A side, but he was ultimately forced to remain in Brazil.

Speculation surrounding his future has only increased since then and Flamengo boss Tite has confirmed that several clubs hold a concrete interest in the defender. Among them are Man Utd.

Man Utd want Wesley

Speaking to the media, the ex-Brazil head coach said: "He's a great kid, a great player with five or six teams looking at him and one of them was Manchester United, who sought information about him."

It is, however, unclear when this enquiry from the Red Devils came. Given that they recently signed Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich for the right-back position, it is doubtful that Wesley is still an option.

While Man Utd surely retain an interest, they now appear to have other priorities. The Red Devils are thought to be on the verge of striking an agreement for PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte, so they likely are not in a position to spend €20m on another right-back given their limited budget.

The interest in Wesley does, however, confirm that the Red Devils are sounding out the Brazilian market for opportunities. FootballTransfers previously revealed that Fluminense midfielder Andre is considered a potential alternative to Ugarte, though the Uruguay international remains the absolute top target.