Manchester United spotted Vinicius Junior in 2014 a clear two years he was 'discovered' by Real Madrid as a teenager at Flamengo.

The Real Madrid attacker, 21, joined the Los Blancos from Flamengo for £38million in 2018. The Brazilian - who scored a phenomenal goal against Manchester City on Tuesday - has gone from strength to strength this season.

ESPN reports the forward could well have ended up at Old Trafford.

Carlos Noval, a former academy coach at Flamengo, explained: "A foreign scout from Manchester United said: 'Noval, look at the player you have, he's a gem! 'I've never seen a 14-year-old player do what he does.

"That reinforced everything we already had in mind. He was a gem to be polished. Everyone wanted Vinicius."

Noval continued: "Corinthians didn't get to talk to us because they didn't have the slightest chance. Barcelona, in particular, monitored this boy since he was 13 years old. Real Madrid and most of the big European clubs too."