Monaco's Bernardo Silva could be a top target for Manchester United this summer according to reports from French website le10sport.com.

The Red Devil's had previously been interested in signing Bernardo's team-mate, French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, however it now appears Jose Mourinho has turned his attention to the former Benfica man.

The youngster has had a glistening career so far at the age of only 22, winning the domestic treble with Benfica in his breakthrough season of 2013/14, also winning the Segunda Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year for his appearances for Benfica B in the second tier of Portuguese football.

A loan move to AS Monaco followed, which later turned into a permanent deal, has since proven a major success for both player and club. Since the move, Silva has played 126 games for Leonardo Jardim's side and scored 26 times too.

The tricky midfielder has helped Monaco reach the top of Ligue 1, four points clear of closest rivals PSG and on course for their first league title since 1999/2000.

Here are three reasons Manchester United should make Bernardo their top priority this summer ...

On the Up

Bernardo's improvement over the past few years has been exponential, and that is not likely to stop anytime soon. His first season with Benfica B was nothing short of exceptional, and his first team breakthrough was also one of the highlights of a treble winning season for The Eagles.

Since the move to Ligue 1, his form has only got better with each season, which has also been helped undoubtedly by the influx of other top quality players at AS Monaco too. If the Portugal international is indeed to move to United and again into what is yet another class of players, he is surely only to once again continue to improve.

Benfica's Boys

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Portugal's Renato Sanches is congratulated by head coach Fernando Santos as he is substituted 
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Benfica has a trusted record of producing and developing quality players both from their youth system and from players bought into the club. This is true especially in recent years. Fabio Coentrao, Axel Witsel, David Luiz, Nemanja Matic, Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Gaitan are just a few of the household names that have had their career propelled with the Portuguese giants.

Perhaps the most impressive to come from their ranks as of late, however, is  Bayern Munich star Renato Sanches. The Portuguese international was the star for his country as they won Euro 2016, and has since impressed during his time in Germany too. It is a track record to trust.

New Generation

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Manchester United's Paul Pogba celebrates scoring their first goal from the penalty spot with Anthony Martial 
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United, while they have bought for both the present and the future as of late, are certainly building, primarily, for the future. The core of the Red Devil's side is shaping into a relatively young one, with Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera all becoming key members of the squad.

While of course Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney and few other household names remain key figures for the club, a new generation is beginning to take shape and the more veteran players at Old Trafford will begin to make way for the new breed. Silva, at only 22, will be part of that young developing squad that can go on to succeed both now and for a long time in the future.

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