Manchester United 1 of 18 Clubs Reportedly Scouting Odisseas Vlachodimos

No fewer than 18 clubs, including the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, are said to be keeping tabs on Benfica goalkeeper Odisseas Vlachodimos. 

According to Record (h/t Daily Express' Joe Short), the 24-year-old stopper is wanted by a host of clubs from England and the Bundesliga despite only moving to Portugal this summer from Panathinaikos.

Newcastle United, RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt have also scouted the talented stopper, per the report.

A product of Stuttgart's academy, Vlachodimos made the move to Panathinaikos in 2016 and put together two impressive seasons in Greece. 

His strong play was rewarded with a move to Lisbon in the summer, and he has stood out in limited time for the Portuguese giants. He has started all five of Benfica's league matches so far, keeping Belgian prospect Mile Svilar on the bench in the process.

Svilar was a standout early last season and made headlines when he started at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League. His promising form and tremendous talent even led to links to the Red Devils, per Metro.

The former Anderlecht man has been confined to the bench this season, however. His replacement has helped Benfica to an unbeaten start in Portugal, conceding three goals in five matches. He was also between the sticks for the 2-0 UEFA Champions League loss against Bayern.

Most of the top clubs said to be watching Vlachodimos already have a top goalkeeper or invested in the position in the summer. Bayern have reportedly been watching him since his Stuttgart days and could eye him as a back-up to Manuel Neuer, although he may not be too eager to move to the bench now that his career is taking off.

The Bavarians also have talent Christian Fruchtl waiting in the wings, and he'll likely see an increase in playing time with the senior side sooner rather than later.

David De Gea is United's star man in goal and widely recognised as one of the best in the business:

Like Bayern, they're unlikely to spend big on a back-up given the strength they already have at the position.

An intriguing option could be Leipzig, who have relied on former Liverpool man Peter Gulacsi this season and could be in the market for an upgrade. Backed by Red Bull's deep pockets, they could have the cash needed to convince Benfica to sell so soon after landing the stopper.