Report: United, Milan chasing midfield starlet nicknamed 'The Octopus'
Manchester United and AC Milan are pursuing Benfica defensive midfielder Florentino Luis, sources told Gabriele Marcotti of ESPN.
Florentino's agent, Bruno Carvalho Santos, met with United representatives during the January transfer window and is now surveying the 20-year-old's options. Bayer Leverkusen, Real Betis, and Leeds United are also said to be interested in the Portuguese youngster, who's nicknamed "O Polvo" - The Octopus - for his ability to cover space and retrieve loose balls in midfield.
"Florentino is one of the highest-rated young defensive midfielders in Europe, so there is a lot of interest in him at the moment," Santos told ESPN.
"There has been a lot of talk about Milan, but I can tell you that there is a lot of competition for his services, with clubs in England, Germany and Spain also following him closely."
A star at various youth levels for Portugal, Florentino enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2018-19 before injuries - and the January arrival of midfielder Julian Weigl - largely scuppered his 2020 campaign.
Benfica could be willing to sell the prodigious Lisbon native on an initial loan with an option to make the transfer permanent, Marcotti notes.