Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Lucas Silva, Arturo Vidal and More

Luiz Rocha, the agent of talented Cruzeiro midfielder Lucas Silva, has confirmed Manchester United have made contact over a potential transfer.

Red Devils chief executive Ed Woodward recently suggested there is a "low probability" the club will sign reinforcements in January, as reported by Simon Jones of the Mail Online, but comments from Rocha suggest interest in Silva could take United's fancy, per Jamie Sanderson of Metro: "There aren't many details. I confirm I was contacted by people linked to Manchester United. There are no official bids. We are waiting."

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Meanwhile, Alvaro De La Rosa of AS believes "contact has been established" with Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have allegedly been told €15 million would secure Silva's services.

This roughly equates to the £12 million offer Sanderson suggests United could make, with Chelsea reportedly quoted the same "shockingly low" price, per Jamie Anderson of the Daily Express.

Former Corinthians manager Tite recently revealed to SportTV Brazil (h/t Ben Jefferson of the Daily Express) that Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti has spoken to him about Silva: "Ancelotti told me he could sign him and asked if he could play alongside (Luka) Modric or (Toni) Kroos because he said, 'My president will not sign defenders'."

Ancelotti is said to have previously asked old associate Serginho about Silva's talents. Carlos Carpio of Marca reports that the Italian boss called AC Milan's head of South American scouting to "pick his brain" about the 21-year-old, whose qualities are highlighted below:

Silva is a midfield busybody and keeps possession moving with accurate passes. He has completed 88 percent of his passes across 25 Brasileirao appearances this season, making 2.1 tackles and 1.2 interceptions on average per match.

Silva isn't the physical presence United crave just yet, but his calmness in possession and technical ability could significantly improve the side's centre.

Chris Atkins of ESPN FC highlights how Silva is "normally positioned alongside a more destructive midfield presence," suggesting Louis van Gaal could also target another signing to supplement his potential arrival.

United continue to be linked with a move for Juventus' Arturo Vidal, as reported by David Wright of the Daily Express, but the Chilean midfielder is yet to consistently impress after his recent knee injury.

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Beppe Marotta, executive director in Turin, recently admitted as much to Sky Sport (h/t Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Italia): "Vidal? He still isn't in great form, but he's better. His knee is a bit inflamed, but we are monitoring him daily."

This will likely halt Van Gaal's interest, as former Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli told Chilean newspaper El Mercurio it did during the summer (h/t Richard Parry of the London Evening Standard).

Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho could offer an alternative source of midfield physicality, according to Anderson, who believes United will engineer a cash-plus-Nani deal for the Portuguese behemoth.

Carvalho is a natural powerhouse and exactly the type of battler who can complement the play of individuals such as Silva. Nani's valuation has only increased since he returned to Sporting on loan this season.

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He has scored six goals and provided two assists in 14 matches across Liga Sagres and the Champions League. As a result, United could significantly cut Carvalho's reported value of £24 million, per Anderson.

It is unlikely Nani will make it back into Van Gaal's plans at this stage, so such a deal would be extremely clever from the Premier League side. United are currently fourth and aiming to hold down their Champions League spot as the busy Christmas schedule arrives.

Van Gaal's squad needs plenty of resculpting before the club is regularly going to compete for silverware, but fans will certainly be excited to see potential links to players such as Silva and Carvalho.

These transfers appear viable—unlike the constant no-go of Vidal—and are likely to test United's reported unwillingness to spend in January.

Stats via WhoScored.com unless otherwise noted.