Manchester United favourites ahead of Arsenal to sign Chelsea youngster Domingos Quina

Manchester United are stepping up their efforts to sign Portuguese teenager Domingos Quina in the summer as they look to bolster their youth academy at the expense of league rivals Chelsea. The Blues signed the player from Benfica as a 13-year-old, but United are looking to build on their reputation of giving young players a chance to prove their talent.

According to the Mirror, United have drafted a contract which will be hard to refuse for the 16-year-old. The midfielder is already being heralded as one of the brightest talents in world football and has been given his first international cap by the Portugal U17 side.

Meanwhile, Arsenal also entered the race to sign the youngster, but the player's priority is to get into a team where he will have a clear path into the first team at the earliest. Arsene Wenger is renowned for his ability to bring the best out of youngsters, but United's recent record with respect to giving youth players a chance has turned the tide in their favour.

The Red Devils are desperate to revamp their youth setup, having fallen behind in the race with Chelsea and Manchester City to secure top talent in recent years. However, much will depend on the future of Louis van Gaal, who has been tipped with a move out of the club given United's recent struggles, while Jose Mourinho, who is notorious for his inability to give youngsters a chance is being prepared for a stint at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are currently fifth in the league, five points adrift of Arsenal, who can go back to third if they manage to claim full points against Bournemouth at the Dean Court on 7 February. The Red Devils have been criticised in recent times for their inconsistency, but have a chance to dampen that notion should they be able to get the better of Chelsea when the duo face each other at Stamford Bridge.