Manchester United In Talks To Sign Highly-Rated Brazilian Defender, Report Says

Manchester United could soon add Porto defender Alex Telles to its ranks as reports revealed that his agent is now in talks with the Premier League club.

The Red Devils have been actively chasing a couple of highly-rated defenders this summer, and one of them is Porto's Telles. Rumors have been linking Telles to a move to Old Trafford for a while now, along with Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar.

Now, it seems the Brazilian has emerged as the most likely to secure a deal with Ole Gunnar Solskajer’s side as the Premier League transfer window deadline approaches.

Telles’ agent has flown to England to meet with United officials and is currently at Manchester to discuss his client's transfer deal, Portuguese newspaper A Bola reported. It is also said that the interest is mutual, with both parties keen on entering a negotiation.

The Porto man only has one year remaining on his current contract, which could mean that United is likely to pay less than the €30 million ($35 million) for his signature, the outlet noted.

Telles has been on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs for quite some time, with Chelsea and Manchester City said to have been monitoring his situation.

Prior to his agent flying to Manchester for a possible deal, Telles was reportedly open to listening to offers from not only United but also Manchester City. The 27-year-old was also eyed by the Blues and was considered as a cheaper alternative to former Leicester star Ben Chilwell.

After playing in Brazil, Telles decided to take his talents to Europe in 2013 and joined Serie A side Grêmio. He played one year in Italy as a full-back before signing with the Turkish side Galatasaray.

In 2016, Telles moved to Porto where he became one of the most notable defenders in Europe. Despite being a natural full-back, Telles has become renowned for his offensive style of playing. In fact, he was the second top goal scorer for Porto in the 2019/20 Primeira Liga campaign.

Meanwhile, United is said to have been dealing with issues regarding its transfer funds. Sources told ESPN that Solskjaer believes selling players on the periphery of his squad is a guaranteed way to raise money, but he has been having problems offloading them.

Among the players United is willing to listen to offers for are Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Sergio Romero.