Manchester United owners INEOS are taking a page out of Chelsea’s book as they swoop to secure two of the brightest talents in South America ahead of the January transfer window.

BlueCo's transfer strategy finally bearing fruit at Chelsea

Todd Boehly was heavily criticised during the early days of his reign at Chelsea, with Jamie Carragher among his most vocal opponents, questioning the sheer volume of signings made under the American.

The Blues have seen a major success story emerge from their flock of young signings however, with Estevao Willian becoming a key member of Enzo Maresca’s first team, scoring crucial goals against Liverpool and Barcelona this season.

The Brazilian is just one of several South American recruits made under BlueCo’s ownership, with the likes of Andrey Santos, Kendry Paez and Aarón Anselmino all out on loan.

The Red Devils have begun to follow the path trodden by BlueCo since INEOS’ arrival, with 18 year-old Paraguay left-back Diego Leon signed in the summer and two more South American gems now seemingly on the way.

Indeed, Manchester United have agreed a deal for midfielder Cristian Orozco and a report from AS has revealed United ‘have already begun negotiations’ for Brazilian centre-back Luis Eduardo, with a bid expected in the coming days and weeks.

Eduardo could be the next Thiago Silva

Eduardo turns 18 in January and has very liittle senior experience, making just one appearance so far for Gremio’s first team.

However, the teenager captained his country to the semi-finals at the U17 World Cup in Qatar last month, which is where he caught the eye of scouts from both United and Chelsea.

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Standing at 6 foot 1, he is not the tallest central defender around, but has been a weapon at set pieces for Brazil’s youth side, scoring three times in just 13 caps.

Similar to the 5 foot 11 Thiago Silva, the Gremio defender has been praised for his leadership, pace and timing, using his reading of the game to break up play rather than pure physicality.

United are expected to reinforce the first team in the January transfer window, but adding quality to the youth ranks can only boost their chances of returning to past glories.