Just who is Douglas Costa?

AS eventful as things on the pitch at Old Trafford were things off it.

And Alex Ferguson’s presence in the stands took the gaze upwards and revealed the presence of an unexplained visitor in the directors’ box: Douglas Costa of Shakhtar Donetsk.

United officials were unable to shed any light on why the 20-year-old Brazilian was present, although Costa was surrounded by enough advisors to suggest he had not merely excused himself from duty with Shakhtar to watch the team so heavily linked with him a couple of years ago because he fancied a day out.

Any signing cannot come until the summer of course.

So who is Costa? Well, the Brazilian midfielder has been courted by United in the past. They are believed to have balked at his then side Gremio’s valuation on the player back in 2009.

However, the 20-year-old has now been the subject of interest from United as well as Barcelona and Real Madrid.

This year he has excelled in Ukraine and has caught the eye in the Champions League.

And now it appears his next stop could be England’s north-west.