Manchester United’s chief scout in Germany, Peter Braund, was at the Rhein-Neckar Arena this weekend to watch Hoffenheim playmaker Roberto Firmino in action against Hamburg, according to German daily Bild.
The Brazilian playmaker has been generating considerable interest from top clubs with consistent performances at Hoffenheim this term.
He has been playing well in Germany for the last few seasons and Liverpool and Chelsea were rumoured to be keen to take him to England last summer – but he stayed put at Hoffenheim.
It has also been speculated that Bayern Munich are also waking up to the potential of the 23-year-old and they believe that after a few seasons in the Bundesliga the player is ready to join the most successful club in Germany at the end of the campaign.
However, Manchester United’s interest in Firmino escaped the spotlight until their chief scout in Germany was spotted in Hoffenheim’s 3-0 win over Hamburg on Saturday.
relatedNewsStory
The Brazilian’s agent Roger Wittmann was also spotted chatting with Braund as he was furiously taking down notes for his final dossier on Firmino, which is expected to be sent for Louis van Gaal’s approval before the club make a move for him at the end of the season.
With the player’s agent also seen talking with the club’s chief scout in Germany, it is believed that the club have been tracking Firmino for some time and Braund was at the Rhein-Neckar Arena for a final look at the player.
Don't bet on football until you've visited Inside Bet! Interesting markets, top tips, betting facts – get all the info before you bet.
