Man United and Chelsea monitoring sought after £17m rated midfielder

Premier League rivals Man United and Chelsea are both casting an eye over Brazilian midfielder Thiago Maia, according to reports from Calciomercato.

Both sides endured a mixed start to the season, although Antonio Conte’s side have recovered some spectacular form in recent weeks, and will both be considering reinforcements in the New Year in order to ensure that, come May, they are in the upper echelons of the table.

However, Jose Mourinho and his permanent predecessor at Stamford Bridge will both have to be on guard as, according to the report, French champions Paris Saint-Germain are ready to pounce for the Santos man with a £17m offer.

The 19-year-old, who featured in the early stages of Brazil’s gold medal winning Rio Olympic campaign, alongside the likes of Neymar and Man City new boy Gabriel Jesus, was linked with a £15m move to West London in the summer but remained with Santos.

The Red Devils boss could be considering the youngster for a deeper role in his United midfield, which would allow world record signing Paul Pogba more freedom to impact the game.