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England Manchester United close in on young Brazilian starlet sensation Kerlon Moura Souza, the man dubbed "the new Ronaldinho"

18/05/2006: Manchester United are close to agreeing a £6million deal for young Brazilian sensation Kerlon Moura Souza. The club is desperate to boost its squad in order to challenge Chelsea for the Premiership title next season.

And they see the 18-year-old Cruzeiro attacking starlet as the perfect man to add star quality to their ranks.

A United delegation flew to South America this week to meet officials from the club, according to a newspaper report in the UK. It claims United are hopeful of signing the man dubbed "the new Ronaldinho" in the next few days.

United have also inquired about signing Edu Dracena, the 24-year-old Cruzeiro captain and central defender.

"We are always ready to listen to offers for Kerlon," Zezé Perrella, the Cruzeiro vice-president, told The Times. "We have had a lot of interest in him and we have been in close contact with an English team, but right now we are not there on the money."

Kerlon is understood to have caught the eye of United manager Alex Ferguson while playing for Brazil in the South American under-17 Championship in Venezuela last year. PA