Bruno Peres. As much as he's a favourite of Torino's ultras, the board knows he's destined for bigger things.

This week's news of Carlo Ancelotti recommending Peres to Bayern Munich will be of no surprise to Urbano Cairo, Torino's president. Nor would the speculation in England that Manchester United and Real Madrid have also been following their 25 year-old Brazilian this season.

He may still be waiting for his first cap, but in Europe, there's no doubting Peres' quality.

"We do like Bruno Peres," conceded Walter Sabatini, the Roma sports director, last summer. Though he insisted at the time no offer from Roma had ever been tabled for the hard-running wing-back.

But Peres' agent, Bernardo Silva would later reveal: "I went to Italy in January to discuss Roma's offer of €8 million, but Torino values the player at €13 million.

"In my opinion, he's the best wing back in Serie A."

That was then. Twelve months on and Ancelotti is urging Bayern to offer €25 million and make Peres his first signing when he succeeds Pep Guardiola in June.

Cairo has been planning for this moment since before the end of last season. Davide Zappacosta, the former Atalanta fullback, arrived not only to replace Matteo Darmian, after his departure for Manchester United, but also as cover in the event Peres was sold.

"Replacing a player like Bruno is not easy, he's already proven his quality," conceded Zappacosta earlier this season. "It's up to me to work, to train and to be ready when I am called up."

Cairo is reluctant to lose a player so popular with the Toro support. "Bruno! Bruno!" go the chants whenever the fans' favourite is in possession. The veterans at Granata say Peres is a throw-back to a former Brazilian hero, Junior, who lit up Toro in the 1980's.

"Bruno Peres is a player I want to keep," says Cairo. "I want to make the team stronger.

"But, of course, I know we should not penalise those who strive for bigger things."

It's not just Peres' all-action style; The energetic, hard running; The ability to bustle past opponents; that has made him a hit with Toro fans. Peres wrote himself into Granata folklore with a wonder goal last season against Juventus.

"It was the moment that changed my career," says Peres.

Toro went down in the first Derby della Mole last season 2-1. But it was Peres' individual goal, running fully 78 metres in 11 seconds before unleashing an unstoppable drive, which had the whole of Italy buzzing in the aftermath. It also marked Toro's first goal against Juve in 12 years. And for the return game, with Peres on the pitch, Toro won their first Derby della Mole in 20 years.

"It was a great goal, but a c*** result," recalls Peres. "Two days earlier, I had spoken to my wife: 'I'm going to score in the derby'.

"She gave me a funny look and said I was crazy. After the game, when I was sad for the defeat, she came in and said I had done what I said I would do. And we ended up laughing about it."

He adds: "That goal was a turning point. I gained a lot of visibility, a lot of confidence and I became beloved by the fans. It was a transformation."

Peres had suddenly been introduced to Italian football.

"They tied some pieces of meat on my ankle and released the lions! When the Italians tackle, it's unlike anything else."

Juventus legend Claudio Gentile was won over by Peres, convinced he was witnessing the next great Brazilian wing-back.

"Quite aside from it being a fantastic goal, what was impressive was his speed and coolness," Gentile said. "I think he's a quality player.

"Now he'll have put himself on the radar of a lot of clubs, not just Italian ones and he has to prove it was not a fluke."

Fluke? Peres has certainly shown he's no flash-in-the-pan. Under the guidance of Toro coach Giampiero Ventura, by his own admission, his game is nothing like it was when he first arrived from Santos two years ago.

"Here (Italy) I have much more freedom to attack. The coach plays me in a 3-5-2 (formation), and this helps me a lot, being an offensive player," says Peres. "Having those three defenders gives me a lot of freedom to get forward."

He adds: "When I arrived I was likened to Maicon. Now, they say I'm the new Cafu."

But it was no easy transition for the Brazilian.

"The adjustment was a little time consuming. I failed to understand the system and getting used to their football, since in Italy there is much more concern with tactics.

"But now, thank God, I can play my football."

And it's his football which has Peres on the radars of Europe's biggest clubs. Capable of playing right-back, left-back and as an out-and-out winger, Peres' versatility has both United and Real circling.

"If a club wants him they need to talk to us," says Toro sports director Gianluca Petrachi.

"I would like that Peres remained with us. That said, if an offer arrives which is fair and the player wants to be sold then we will not look the other way. We will consider it, but to date there are no such conditions."

And for Peres, he isn't about to rock the boat.

"I'm happy to still be in this shirt. I've never said I want to leave."