Manchester United are reportedly in pole position to secure the services of Palmeiras forward Gabriel Veron, who is expected to cost around £18 million.
According to Sport, as relayed by FourFourTwo, Manchester United are leading Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester City in pursuit of Gabriel Veron. The Palmeiras forward has raised a lot of eyebrows with his performances in Brazil, thereby attracting a host of top clubs across Europe.
However, it appears Manchester United are likely to secure the services of the attacker, who reportedly has a £53 million release clause in his contract. The Red Devils could complete the signing for much cheaper, though, with the report from the Spanish publication suggesting that a fee of £18 million would be enough to seal the deal.
Sport further adds that Barcelona were the front-runners in the race to sign Veron. But, their upcoming presidential election played a key role in stifling their progress in the transfer negotiation, leaving Manchester United the favourites to bag the Brazilian in this ongoing January transfer window.
Upon his potential move to Old Trafford, Veron could become the latest addition to the club’s renewed efforts to sign South American talents. Manchester United had notably brought in Facundo Pellistri in the summer while the likes of Facundo Medina and Douglas Costa have been linked with a move to Old Trafford this month.
From a sporting perspective, the addition of Veron, who is a winger by trade could make sense for Manchester United as well. The 18-year-old prodigy has been involved in eight goals in 20 matches in all competitions this season. His tally of 15 goal involvements in 34 overall appearances is quite impressive as well.
As such, the Brazilian youngster could aid Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s hunt for a new winger. He could provide competition for Mason Greenwood, who has had a mixed bag of a campaign. Even Daniel James has failed to shine at the highest level of football while Juan Mata is nearing the final phase of his career, making him quite a useful weapon to have going forward for Manchester United.
Veron can also provide a lot of tactical options for Solksjaer given the fact that he can operate almost anywhere in attack. His pace, productivity and tenacity could make him an exciting asset for the Premier League leaders for years to come. And in these testing times, investing in a long-term prospect like Veron could be a logical move for Manchester United when compared to spending a fortune on someone like Jadon Sancho.
