Manchester United are eyeing deals to sign two Brazilian teenagers – Palmeiras midfielder Luis Guilherme and Flamengo winger Lorran.
Both of the highly-rated youngsters have been heavily scouted by United in South America after impressing the Red Devils' recruitment team. Guilherme is a Brazil under-20 international who has been integrated into the Palmeiras first-team while Lorran recently netted a brace for his nation’s U17 side against England.
The targeting of young South American talent was something that began at Old Trafford initially under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Da Silva twins Rafael and Fabio were signed at a youth level before becoming first-team players, while Anderson was signed as a teenager from Porto with the likes of Andreas Pereira and Rodrigo Possebon also signed young before progressing through their ranks.
Midfielder Kleberson was the first Brazilian to arrive at Old Trafford in 2003, with the likes of Alex Telles and Fred signed under other managers before Erik ten Hag recruited Casemiro and Antony in his first summer in charge at the club.
However, it was Ferguson who was a particular advocate of the club’s targeting of young players from South America. “Our scouting there has increased," Ferguson told the club’s official Inside United magazine back in 2012 when speaking about the club ramping up recruitment in South America. “We have got an operative in Mexico, two in Brazil and four South American scouts now.
“Quite frankly, they do produce. You see Antonio Valencia – he is as tough as nails with great discipline about him. The South Americans love playing football, it is just in their blood. The three Brazilians – Anderson, Rafael and Fabio – love it and are first to training every morning. It is a breath of fresh air.
“Chicharito [Hernandez] has a fantastic attitude to playing and everything else. It is really good. So we have done very well in Central and South America in the last two or three years."
Guilherme has been involved in 23 first-team matches for Palmeiras this term including three times in the Copa Libertadores, while making the jump from Brazil’s U16 setup to U20. Lorran, also aged 17, has been promoted to the Flamengo first-team squad this term after graduating through their youth system – but his four appearances have been limited to the state league, rather than Brazil’s top league.
Lorran scored his first professional goal in January 2023, grabbing the leveller in a 1–1 away draw against Bangu, a strike which meant that the winger – aged at the time 16 years, six months and 20 days – was the youngest ever scorer in Flamengo’s history.
However, United are not the only clubs monitoring the Brazilian talents with a range of European clubs also keeping tabs on their futures. As per Mundo Deportivo, Guilherme’s contract contains a £52million release clause while Lorran’s contractual valuation stands at £43m. It is common for South American clubs to include such clauses to protect their assets, but they are likely to consider negotiating below those valuations should United look to follow through on their interest.