Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Andre Silva, Matteo Darmian

Manchester United are reportedly one of five Premier League clubs monitoring Porto striker Andre Silva. Scouts from United and rivals Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City also watched Silva's last match.

United watchers were part of the contingent of talent-spotters who attended Porto's recent 1-1 draw with Benfica, according to Gary Stonehouse of the Sun. Stonehouse also noted that Juventus had scouts in attendance to run the rule over the prolific 21-year-old.

His report detailed that super agent Jorge Mendes now represents Silva. The striker's rapid rise has seen his value skyrocket since the summer: "Silva was reportedly available for £22million in the summer but no club decided to take the plunge on the then inconsistent attacker."

Now Silva commands a buyout clause worth €60 million after agreeing to a five-year deal back in the summer, per Goal.com's Tom Webber.

The rise in Silva's price tag has prompted a remarkable improvement in his form in front of goal. He's in a free-scoring mode at both international and club level.

After a Silva hat-trick in October, Squawka detailed how well he has performed at every level for his country:

The same source charted his prolific output for Porto after he was on target to down Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League:

It's this spectacular form that has attracted so much interest from England's top flight. Of those interested, Arsenal have been linked for a while.

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Last month, Portuguese source O Jogo (h/t Jake Lambourne of the Sun) revealed Gunners chief Arsene Wenger has been keeping tabs on Silva for more than a year.

Of course, United could also use a budding young star with an eye for goal. Especially since Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 35 while 31-year-old Wayne Rooney appears long past his best.

However, United manager Jose Mourinho has previously said he won't sign players from Portugal's top teams, including old club Porto. This news came during a lecture at Lisbon University in the spring, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News.

Matteo Darmian Doubts Exit Rumours

Full-back Matteo Darmian has been a forgotten man since Mourinho took over. Yet the Italy international doesn't believe his manager wants to sell him.

The versatile defender told Sky in Italy (h/t Calciomercato, via Alex Porter of the Manchester Evening News): “Jose Mourinho wanted to cast me out? I’ve read things like that, but I don’t think it’s true."

Darmian is firmly on the radar of Serie A side Inter Milan, according to Calciomercato (h/t Metro's Chris Davie). However, Mourinho is reportedly anxious to keep him as cover for Antonio Valencia.

The 31-year-old converted winger is still United's first-choice right-back. But he's also recovering from a broken arm.

Darmian's versatility makes him a natural choice to be a utility cover man along the back four. He can play either full-back spot, and he boasts the energy and pace to offer a credible threat going forward.

He may not have lived up to expectations since signing in 2015, but as long as Darmian is happy with a squad role, he could still be a useful player for United.

Meanwhile, if Silva's terrific scoring run continues, he could convince Mourinho to go back on his pre-season claim about not signing some of Portugal's best players.