Gill excited by potential of Bebe as Welbeck is loaned to Sunderland

The Manchester United chief executive admits the club's prospective new Portuguese signing has "come from nowhere".

David Gill, the Manchester United chief executive, admits the club's prospective new signing, Bebe, has "come from nowhere" and only seriously arrived on the club's radar earlier this month. Bebe's imminent arrival - contingent on his passing a medical - comes just a matter of weeks after he signed for Vitoria Guimaraes on a free transfer and Gill is frank about the whirlwind nature of a deal that is reportedly worth in the region of £7 million (Dh40,134m).

"He's a player we've been following, but he really came on the scene in the last week or so," Gill told MUTV. "We looked at him, spoke to a number of people about him and then went out and secured the deal yesterday. "It's exciting. He's a potential player, and a lot of Manchester United's focus is about getting players who have the potential and then getting them under the great coaching of Alex [Ferguson], Mick [Phelan], Rene [Meulensteen] and other people. He can fulfil that potential with Manchester United and I think it's going to be exciting. Let's hope it works out."

As Bebe arrives at Old Trafford, Danny Welback has left to join Sunderland. But Steve Bruce, the Sunderland manager, remains on the lookout for another striker after recouping £8m from the sale of Kenwyne Jones, the Trinidad & Tobago international, despite the arrival of the 19-year-old, who joins the Black Cats on a season-long loan. "It would be unfair to say that he [Welbeck] is the replacement for Kenwyne," said Bruce. "There's still a couple of weeks to go in the market and hopefully the money is there to go and spend it."

Bruce revealed he would be interested in Craig Bellamy, the Wales forward, who appears to be surplus to requirements at Manchester City, although he could be out of the Black Cats' price range. Celtic are also interested in taking Bellamy on loan. * Press Association