Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly targeting a move for highly-rated Brazilian youngster Thiago Maia this January.

It’s a name that most football fans in Europe will be unfamiliar with, so let’s fill you in on why Thiago Maia is being touted as the most promising talent in Brazil right now.

The 19-year-old shot to prominence following a string of impressive displays for Brazil’s gold-medal winning 2016 Olympic football team. He’s a left-footed central-midfield player, who leans slightly toward the defensive side of the game.

His appetite for tackling and intercepting, coupled with his intelligent use of the ball both in transition and attack, are key traits that make this youngster such a hot-prospect. Traits that appear to be drawing interest from a number of the games top managers, including a certain Jose Mourinho.

The Manchester United boss prides himself on building teams with strong defensive foundations. The recent 4-0 defeat by Chelsea would have been a tough one to take for the Portuguese who lacks options in defensive midfield, with Morgan Schneiderlin seemingly out-of-favour at Old Trafford.

However, Thiago Maia, who has been rated at €20m, has also attracted interest from a host of other teams, most notably Chelsea. Antonio Conte’s side has a strong recent history of signing players from the Brazilian players.

With Thiago Maia’s long-term future very much up in the air, here are THREE reasons why he should choose United over Chelsea this January.

Link up with big name players

 

Thiago Maia is sure to welcome linking up with star players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba at Old Trafford.

In particular, teaming up with the all-action Pogba in central midfield is bound to make the youngster’s life easier in the United first-team.

Thaigo Maia is at an age where he should be learning as much as possible from each training session and game. Playing and training alongside two of the most technically gifted players in the world will surely be beneficial for the young Brazilian.

There appears to be a vacancy for him at Old Trafford

The defensive midfield spot at united appears to be well and truly up for grabs. With Schneiderlin out-of-favour, Carrick and Schweinsteiger aging, and Fellaini as un-fancied by the fans as ever, there appears to be a real opportunity for Thaigo Maia to step in and make a real impact.

Would this really be the case at Chelsea? Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante seem to have locked down the two central midfield spots in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 formation. Cesc Fabregas has only made 4 Premier League appearances this season; Thaigo Maia can expect similarly limited opportunities if a move goes through.

Join one of the world’s biggest sides

Although Manchester United have dropped off somewhat in the years following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, they are still undoubtedly one of, if not the biggest, club in global football.

The sheer size of the club demands success; they have huge amounts of money to spend on top talent from around the world. With a manager now in place that these talents are desperate to work with, the future looks bright for the red half of Manchester.

United are bound to be competing at the top of English and European football before long and Thiago Maia could play a key role in the recovery of this footballing giant.