Manchester United had a scout present to see Benfica centre-back Ruben Dias on Thursday night, according to the Sun.

Reports in Portugal have linked both Dias and his teammate Joao Felix with a move to Old Trafford in the summer, and it seems there is genuine interest from the Red Devils.

United Chief Scout Marcel Bout believes the Portuguese defender should be considered as a serious option to strengthen the club’s backline.

Dias didn’t have the best of games on Thursday, though, as he gave away a penalty which handed their opponents Dinamo Zagreb a 1-0 first leg win in the Europa League.

Still, the 21-year-old is already a Portuguese international and is the reigning Portuguese League Young Player of The Year, having been a regular for Benfica over the past two seasons.

His club are unlikely to sell him on the cheap, and with a release clause of €60m (£51m), United will have to consider whether he is worth shelling out for.