Media speculation has ramped up in recent weeks over a battle among Europe's top clubs for the Red Devils' jewel. Deco, though, has played it down. Although the forward is even said to have already been there in person recently to get his own impression of the conditions at Real Madrid and the Catalans, Deco lowered the temperature.
"There is nothing to say about this boy. It is normal for players to keep being linked with us. Big interests are at stake. Even if they are still young, we are not interested in any player. As far as his situation is concerned, I am not sure what happened. I do not know. He is still a Manchester United player," said the 49-year-old official.
At United, the youngster recently caused a stir with a stated desire to leave. Alongside the two Spanish heavyweights, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also said to be tracking the situation of the in-demand youngster.
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That race is likely to gather fresh pace above all with a view to 6 October. On that day, the youngster will celebrate his 16th birthday and reach the age at which he can officially be represented by a licensed player agent.
For this decisive step, Ali Barat is allegedly already positioning himself. The star adviser is no stranger to international business and has already handled some of the most eye-catching multi-million-euro deals in European elite football, including the 116-million-euro transfer of Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion to Chelsea.