Manchester United are chasing the new Veron — Gabriel Veron.
The 19-year-old Brazilian is one of the rising stars of the South American game and United scouts have been raving about him. Palmeiras were not initially interested in selling Veron, an Under-20 international, this summer.
But the interest has been piqued after several European clubs checked on his situation and they will now consider a sale if anyone gets near their £10million valuation. United are understood to be considering sending Veron straight out on loan if they do sign him, with Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon one potential destination. The player’s contract with Palmeiras still has four years to run.
Veron is a versatile forward who has played across all of the front three positions and already has 92 senior appearances to his name, scoring 13 goals and providing the same number of assists.
Veron has played 15 times for Brazil’s under-17s side and scored five goals, as well as providing two assists. Two of the forward’s caps for Brazil at that level came against England, playing against opponents including Southampton's Tino Livramento, Leeds United’s Joe Gelhardt and Liverpool summer signing Fabio Carvalho.
He also represented Brazil at the U17s World Cup in his home country in 2019, scoring three goals and providing three assists during seven games that included a goal in a semi-final win over France and an assist in the final against Mexico.
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This year, Veron has helped his side into the last 16 of both the Copa Libertadores and Copa Do Brasil, as well as winning the Campeonato Paulista and Recopa Sudamericana.
He didn't travel with the squad for the FIFA World Club Cup in February in the UAE, where Palmerias reached the final before losing to Chelsea in extra-time thanks to Kai Havertz’s late penalty.
United are targeting a new versatile forward this summer after prioritising deals for Dutch duo Frenkie de Jong and Tyrell Malacia from Barcelona and Feyenoord respectively. United have also submitted a bid of £39.6m to sign Ajax centre-back Lisandro Martinez. Arsenal too have also submitted two bids to sign Martinez, but both were lower than what United have put forward to sign the 24-year-old.
