Manchester United are 'already negotiating' a deal for Thiago Almada as they look to steal a move in the summer, according to fichajes.net.

Almada has caught the eye of a number of European giants, including Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City (TEAMtalk). However, United have made the first move as the club look to beat their competitors to his signature.

Fichajes.net reported that he has a release cause of €22m, which equates to £20m, and this is set to run out in a matter of weeks. Football reporter Hector Andreu claims that the youngster is "ready to make the big leap to Europe" despite his young age.

Indeed, the 19-year-old has impressed for Velez Sarsfield in the Superliga this season, scoring four goals for Mauricio Pellegrino's side, taking 1.2 shots per game, averaging 1.3 key passes and successfully completing 1.7 dribbles on average (via WhoScored).

Moreover, the board are adamant that Jadon Sancho remains a top priority, and this could benefit Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's attempts to bring the Englishman to Old Trafford. The Red Devils have moved to gain a head start over their closest rivals and the decision could pay off, as they may not have to pay a bigger transfer sum in the future.

It is worth highlighting the fact that Sancho is valued at a whopping £105.3m and Almada is priced at just £16m via Transfermarkt.

If his clause expires, United would then be able to use the leftover cash set aside to go towards a bid for the Borussia Dortmund star as well.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sign Thiago Almada in the upcoming window? Let us know down below!