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Man Utd and Chelsea 'scout Brazilian wonderkid' with £43m transfer release clause
Manchester United and Chelsea could be set for a January transfer tussle over one Brazilian starlet.
Man Utd were 'hours' away from losing transfer target to Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp chat
Manchester United and Chelsea are both reportedly eyeing Brazilian wonderkid Lorran, who has a release clause with his club Flamengo to the value of £43million. The 17-year-old midfielder has enjoyed only a handful of appearances for his current team, but appears to have made a big impression on Europe's elite already.
Fabrizio Romano has claimed that United and Chelsea have recently scouted Lorran, but their level of interest at this stage remains unknown ahead of what could be a battle between a host of top teams for the teenager's signature.
He has recently signed with Roc Nation Sports Brazil, the agency founded by rap icon Jay-Z, who also work with Brazilian stars such as Vinicius Jr, Lucas Paqueta, Gabriel Martinelli and Endrick.
Lorran made his debut for Flamengo as a 16-year-old, before turning 17 in July, and he swiftly became the club's youngest-ever goalscorer after equalising in a 1-1 draw against Bangu.
Chelsea's interest could potentially stem from their plan to sign an avalanche of future stars under the new era of Todd Boehly and co, having already brought in Brazilian talents such as Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington and Angelo.
Lorran is predominantly an attacking midfielder and his breakthrough in South America has clearly attracted plenty of attention, but whether either team will be prepared to stump up £43m for a 17-year-old remains to be seen.
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Lorran has only signed with his new agency this week, perhaps indicating that he is looking for a move out of Brazil - putting the likes of United and Chelsea on red-alert.
For the moment, though, the two Premier League sides have just been on a scouting mission and there has been no official proposal made to Flamengo. It is also unclear whether the Brazilian club would be willing to negotiate below the release clause, as both United and Chelsea have been concerned with Financial Fair Play as of late.