United leading £11m chase for Sporting wonderkid Van Wolfswinkel

Manchester United have confirmed they are monitoring Sporting Lisbon striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel.

Sportsmail revealed United’s interest after they watched the Dutch striker score against Lazio in the Europa League tie on September 29.

In demand: Sporting Lisbon's Ricky van Wolfswinkel is highly regarded

The 22-year-old only joined in the summer from Utrecht for £5.5m but is now valued at £11m after scoring six goals in his first eight games.

United  assistant manager Mike Phelan said: ‘We’ve known Van Wolfswinkel for a long time. He’s a young striker, very talented, who has developed well in the last few seasons.’