Manchester United have been linked with a move for former Sporting Lisbon winger Francisco Trincao. The former Wolves and Barcelona star is thought to be valued at £30million, and recent reports claim that the Reds are showing interest . Trincao was a regular under Ruben Amorim at Sporting, having made 131 appearances under the current United boss. After scoring just three goals and providing only a single assist in 30 appearances at Wolves, the attacker enjoyed a new lease of life in his homeland under Amorim. The 25-year-old has been instrumental in Sporting's push for another Liga Portugal title this campaign. While Trincao may have struggled at Wolves , his overall improvement can be traced back to his time playing alongside legendary former Barca star Lionel Messi . In February 2021, Trincao stepped off the bench alongside Messi to net a late winner in a 3-2 comeback against Real Betis, keeping Barcelona's La Liga title hopes alive. Shortly after taking to the field against Betis, Trincao found himself in a goal-scoring position but elected to pass to Messi, and the chance was lost. After a quick pep talk from Messi, in which the Barca captain instructed Trincao to take on the shot if a similar chance arose, the youngster went on to confidently dispatch the winner. Abel Ferreira - who coached Trincao at Braga - insists that the Portuguese has many more strings to his bow. The former coach even believes his ex-pupil can play a similar role on the pitch to that of Spanish greats Xavi and Andres Iniesta. "He is not a pure winger; he is not a player who plays every game close to the line," Ferreira told Mundo Deportivo in 2020 via BirminghamLive . "He likes to receive the ball on the right and move inside. Francisco plays best between the lines. "Don't expect Trincao to play wide on the field. He is a young player but he understands the game. You can play with a 4-4-2, 3-4-3, or 4-3-3 formation. The strong point of this player is playing between the lines. "In a 4-3-3 he can play in the roles of Xavi or Andres Iniesta, in the centre of the field and between the lines. He is a player that occupies these spaces very well. He did it with me at team B of Braga and he continues doing it now." Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .