Manchester United sent chief scout Marcel Bout to watch Benfica pair Ruben Dias and Joao Felix in their 4-1 victory over Braga on Sunday, according to reports.
Dias, a 21-year-old centre-back, and Felix, a 19-year-old forward, have impressed over the course of the campaign in the Premeira Liga and are reported to be on the radars of Europe's top clubs.
United, who are facing a summer rebuild, are understood to be putting the wheels in motion to recruit young, hungry players in their attempts to bridge the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool and Dias and Felix are said to fit the bill.
Felix has scored 18 goals in 40 appearances for Benfica this season while Dias, a nine-times-capped Portugual international, has registered on four occasions in his 53 outings to date.
Portuguese outlet O Jogo claim that United deployed Bout to cast his eye over the pair after Simon Wells, who reportedly scouted Victor Lindelof at the same club, returned his initial observations.
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Benfica president Luís Felipe Vieira has claimed that none of his first-team squad are required to leave this summer and O Jogo claim that United would have to trigger the respective release clauses of Dias and Felix to acquire their services.
Dias' is said to stand at €60 million (£51m), while Felix's is believed to be €120m (£103m).
Meanwhile, Matthijs de Ligt's agent Mino Raiola is said to be encouraging his client for a move to either United, Juventus or Bayern Munich.
The 19-year-old centre-back, who has captained Ajax to the semi-finals of the Champions League, has asserted himself among the best defenders in the world this season and is in line for a big-money move away from the Eredivisie club after teammate Frenkie de Jong sealed a transfer to Barcelona in January.
Mundo Deportivo report that de Ligt's preference is to follow de Jong to the Camp Nou but Raiola's priority is thought to be 'the more economically profitable option'.
