Manchester United are said to be stepping up their interest in Benfica midfielder Javi Garcia, according to reports in the Spanish media.
The 24-year-old has been tracked on a regular basis by the Red Devils and is seen as an answer for Old Trafford club's midfield problems.
Garcia is a product of the Real Madrid youth system but failed to make the grade at the Bernabeu and was shipped out to Osasuna in 2007. The defensive midfielder briefly returned to Madrid before being sold to the Portuguese giants in 2009.
Garcia has since established himself as one of the most important players at the club and the Spaniard played a vital role in Benfica's title-winning side in his first season at Estadio da Luz.
The former Real Madrid man is contracted to the club until 2014.
