Manchester United: Barcelona director Ariedo Braida denies interest in Felipe Anderson

Barcelona's sporting director Ariedo Braida has confirmed that the La Liga giants are not planning to pull off a deal for Lazio midfielder Felipe Anderson.

An attacking midfielder by trade, Anderson has been likened to Cristiano Ronaldo for his style of play, something which has attracted interest from a lot of clubs, including Barcelona.

However, Braida's disclosure has poured cold water over a possible deal, allowing the likes of Manchester United, who are also interested in the player, to breathe freely.

"There is nothing to say about Felipe Anderson," Braida told LaLazioSiamoNoi.

"The papers write so many things. In one day, Barca have approached 10 names.

"At this time, Felipe Anderson is not a player we are following," he added.

The 21-year-old Brazilian has already scored 10 goals this season for the Italian club and is reported to have also got the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal interested.

However, he is not getting carried away with the interest and insists that he is still trying to get back to his best after having his season cut short due to injury last year.

"I'm like Cristiano Ronaldo? That's a comparison that honours me," he told O Globo.

"Last year was difficult because I was injured and had to adapt to the tactics of Italian football. I worked a lot, though, and I'm showing my qualities this season thanks to my team-mates and coaches," Anderson added.

United are preparing a spending spree in the summer and along with plans to strengthen their attack they are also tracking the likes of Thiago Silva and Mats Hummels to shore up their defence.

Ilkay Gundogan is also a rumoured target for the Dutchman to add more calm to his midfield with only one year left in the German's contract with Dortmund.

United are currently third in the league table following their impressive 4-2 win over Manchester City in the league, eight points behind Chelsea and one behind second placed Arsenal.