MANCHESTER CITY and Liverpool are ready to go head-to-head again – this time in the race to sign Brazilian wonderkid Reinier.
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have spent the past year locking horns in the Premier League and they are likely to be the two main challengers for the title again this season.
But the two clubs are also in competition for 17-year-old midfielder Reinier, according to the Mail.
They say scouts from both City and Liverpool have highlighted the prodigious young talents of the Flamengo player – even though he is yet to make his first team debut for the club.
He is already regarded as one of the best young prospects in Brazil, where he has shone in the country’s under-17s side.
And scouts from the two title rivals are said to be planning to make the trip to South America this week to watch him in action in two under-17s matches against Paraguay.
Reinier is currently under contract with Flamengo until December next year, and under regulations in Brazil he would not be allowed to leave the club until he turns 18.
That birthday arrives in January – and it has not stopped a host of clubs looking to see if they can get a deal in place ready for when he comes of age.
Watford took a similar approach earlier this year when they agreed a fee with Fluminese for their highly-rated 17-year-old Joao Pedro.
The Hornets have already made a payment to Fluminese for Pedro, who will then complete his move to Vicarage Road when he turns 18 himself in January.
So the potential is there for either City or Liverpool to nip in early and agree a package with Flamengo, prior to his birthday early next year.
But the clubs are unlikely to have it all their own way in the pursuit of a player who is being talked of throughout South America.
Premier League rivals Everton have already made an enquiry for the player, and could potentially offer a quicker route to first team football than he may get at the Etihad or Anfield.
But Barcelona are another who have started watching the attacking midfielder closely, while AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund are other sides also on the case.
