Maia could be just what United need

NEWCASTLE United have been offered the chance to sign Lille’s Thiago Maia, the promising Brazilian defensive midfielder who won gold with his country in the 2016 Olympics.

According to reports in France the initial offer from United – who no doubt spy a bargain with the French side required to sell players to balance the books this summer – has been rebuffed by the Ligue 1 club but the 23-year-old is exactly the sort of player that fits Rafa Benitez’s target profile.

He’s young, he’s a talent and has the potential to be coached into a better player. While Benitez wants to bring in more experience and more front-line, firstteam-ready talent into the side, there will still be an element of boxing clever from the United boss.

But speculation around Maia highlights the importance – once again – of Benitez’s network of contacts.

Because Maia shares the same agent as one of Newcastle’s top targets Kenedy.

That man is Giuliano Bertolucci – the representative for most of the big name Brazilian players in Europe.

In a profile in the Times last year, he was described as “adored by his players, feared by their clubs and trusted implicitly at Chelsea”. And he weighed in on Maia’s early progress at Lille, calling for the club to return him to a central midfield position after playing at left-back early in the season.

The idea might have been to use the Ligue 1 club as a stepping stone to something better but a difficult first season in France means he’s hardly appreciated in value from the £10m that he cost when he joined from Santos.

United might spy potential value there.