Manchester United’s latest 1-1 draw against Brentford further exposes the on-the-field issues at the club that have haunted them all season.
The only positives that can be taken from this season thus far is the rise and progress of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, who have become key players in Erik ten Hag’s side.
With the Red Devils preparing to undergo a complete rebuild with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the helm, the transfer strategy could be to focus on signing young talent, just like the aforementioned duo.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at an extremely highly-rated 2007-born ace who is reportedly on United’s radar.
Man Utd’s search for a young attacker
According to a recent report from Spain via Football365, Man United are interested in signing 16-year-old gem Estevao, otherwise known as Messinho.
The attacker plays his football for Palmeiras, the same side that developed wonderkid Endrick, but they are not willing to let him go for cheap.
Messinho is attracting plenty of interest from across Europe, including Real Madrid, who could battle United for his signature in the summer.
However, Unuted are reportedly willing to pay an extreme figure for the winger, at least £77m, which could fend off competition for his services.
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ByRobbie Walls Messinho could be a bigger talent than Garnacho
As previously mentioned, Garnacho has simply been fantastic this campaign, showing courage and determination to succeed, which can’t be said for some of his teammates.
At 19 years of age, the Argentine wonderkid has the world at his feet, and he’s played 27 matches in the Premier League this season, scoring five goals and providing three assists.
Due to the lack of quality on the right wing this season, with Antony failing to register a goal contribution in the league, the number 17 has switched flanks to gain regular game time, but his long-term future is surely on the left if United do sign Messinho.
The Brazilian is a left-footed winger who mainly plays on the right, and he’s set to breakthrough the Palmeiras academy this year after making five substitute appearances since January.
That said, the number 41 has shown his ability in the youth teams and for Brazil’s U17 side, particularly during the U17 World Cup in Indonesia, as you can see below.
Match rating
10
Goals
2
Key passes
5
Big chances created
2
Successful dribbles
5/5
Shots on target
4
Duels won
8
Against Ecuador in the Round of 16, Messinho was almost untouchable, displaying absolutely everything he has to offer and why he is regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in the world.
It’s fair to say that the Brazilian is absolutely frightening, not only because he can score goals but also because he has the ability to create opportunities from absolutely nothing.
This is what makes him a “future Ballon d’Or winner,” as per analyst Ben Mattinson, with his five key passes and successful dribbles proving that it’s impossible to stop him as an opposition defender.
This illustrates the immense potential the teenage star has and that is why he could enter Old Trafford as a bigger talent than their current Argentina international, who former United midfielder Paul Parker claimed needs to work on his discipline and mentality on and off the pitch to reach Balon d'Or level.
It’s quite clear that Estevao is also extremely confident in his own ability, just like Garnacho, which makes him even more of a promising talent, and gives him a much better chance of making it to the very top of the beautiful game.
Overall, signing an inexperienced gem for potentially such a large fee is clearly a huge risk to take, but we have seen it pay off in recent times with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona tapping into the South American market and securing superstars like Vinicius Junior, Endrick, and Vitor Roque.