Manchester United and Liverpool are battling some Premier League rivals and clubs from abroad to sign Gambian wonderkid Adama Bojang.
A standout player during the recent under-20 World Cup, as Gambia reached the last 16, striker Bojang has also courted interest from the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle, Wolves and Crystal Palace thanks to his performances in Argentina. Those clubs' hopes have been boosted by new work permit rules which were approved by the UK government last week.
Bojang, 19, is now eligible to qualify for a UK work permit under the updated Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria for international player visas. Having been green-lit by the Home Office, English clubs are permitted to sign a number of players who don't meet the points requirements, with four available to teams in the Championship and Premier League.
The Guardian, however, report that United, Liverpool and their rivals face competition from several German teams. RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankurt have been linked, and this week an offer from an unnamed side came into the inbox of Bojang's club, Steve Biko FC.
It's added that the 19-year-old would prefer a move to the Bundesliga in order to continue his development. Bojang has admitted that he's "excited" by the links to elite clubs in Europe, but ahead of the U20 World Cup, he was firmly keeping his feet on the ground.
"It boosts my morale," the striker, who stands at a towering 6ft 3in, told BBC Sport Africa. "I'm focusing more on consistency which motivates me a lot, because seeing such clubs following you is a great feeling. Through consistency, it will make them hungrier for me."
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Bojang named Real Madrid as his "dream club" and his idol is no surprise. "I want to be like Cristiano Ronaldo," he revealed. "Because he's my favourite when it comes to the big-name players. I've been watching his videos on YouTube after games. He posts his workout there so sometimes I try to watch those and motivate myself through that."
Nicknamed 'The Gambian Hurricane', Bojang has suffered heartache in two recent international tournaments, despite his goalscoring feats. Having agonisingly been beaten 2-0 by Senegal in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations final in Egypt, Bojang and co's World Cup campaign came to an end following a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in the round of 16.
Both United and Liverpool are set for huge summer transfer windows. Still up for sale with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani vying for a takeover, United boss Erik ten Hag remains unsure over who'll end up sanctioning the club's signings this summer.
Meanwhile, at Liverpool, manager Jurgen Klopp is orchestrating a rebuild in response to a disappointing campaign last time out. The Reds have already begun their recruitment drive and completed the signing of Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister for an initial £45million from Brighton.
