A report in The People this morning claims Manchester United are homing in on one of the most talented youngsters in Brazil, Santos winger Neymar .

Scott Piecha and Steve Bates report that "The Manchester United boss is sending scouts to the Under 17 World Cup in Nigeria at the end of this month to watch striker Neymar , 17, hailed as the new Pele. United have had him watched in Brazil but are stepping up their interest in a bid to beat off competition from the likes of AC Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester City."

Piecha and Bates add: "Santos have slapped a £12million price tag on their star and are insisting no deal can be completed until the summer. United, however, are looking to agree a fee now to secure his move to Old Trafford."

Neymar has been a regular in the Santos side during 2009, playing 28 games, scoring four goals and providing three assists.

There has been hype surrounding Neymar since he was 13 and due to the fact that he has come through the ranks at Santos he has been nicknamed the “new Pele” as well as the "new Robinho."

In July, IMScouting named Neymar as a Player to Watch, the scouting report can be seen here.