Manchester United and Liverpool are on alert after Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama said that £15m-rated defender Dede could be sold because of tax issues at the club.
Brazil centre-back Dede is an emerging star in his homeland with Vasco, but the Rio de Janeiro club have admitted they must sell him to raise funds.
Premier League rivals Man United and Liverpool have been tracking the 24-year-old for some time, and are likely to step up their interest again this summer.
European sides AC Milan, Juventus and Benfica are also keen on Dede, who hails from the same suburb of Rio as Red Devils twins Fabio and Rafael.
And with Vasco director Cristiano Koehler admitting the club's prize asset must be sold, a bidding war could be sparked with initial offers set to start at around £15m.
"We can't mislead the fans, we will find it very difficult to hold on to Dede because the club needs the resources," said Koehler. "At some point it will happen - by the middle of the year.
"The desire of all is that he stays, but we have to prioritise the payment of wages, taxes and federal agreements, so it is inevitable we will have to sell.
"So it is possible, in the middle of the year when the sale goes through, we can use the money to restructure the club and make it safe.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Brendan Rodgers will push their respective club's hierarchy to secure Dede, who is thought to be keen on a move abroad.
"The player is ambitious and he also wants to experience better opportunities with better pay," revealed Koehler. "And the partners in his ownership want to make the agreement now to develop their investment.
"We have a balance sheet we must meet, and we can't hide the fact."
Dede's third-party ownership - a 45 per cent stake in the player's registration - is held by the DIS Group, which could complicate any transfer negotiations.
Source: Daily Express
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