Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City face competition from Bayern Munich and Juventus to sign teenage Toronto sensation Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.
The 16-year-old forward, born in June 2004, made his MLS debut for the Canadian side in October last year, replacing former Swansea midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo at Philadelphia Union.
A host of clubs are interested in his signature, with the Old Lady the latest to be confirmed in the race by Tuttosport.
City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly given his endorsement to go after Marshall-Rutty, who, despite having not featured above under-15 level for Canada, received a call-up to the senior squad last month for a team training camp.
It made him the youngest player to receive the honour, breaking Bayern left back Alphonso Davies' record by five days.
Marshall-Rutty's talent first came to prominence when he shone in the Dallas Cup against LaLiga opposition for Toronto at the age of 12.
He then turned professional in December 2018 aged just 14, making his debut for Toronto's second-string side six months later.
January 2020 saw him become the club's youngest-ever first-team signing before going on to become the team's youngest-ever debutant.
Speaking to Goal, Marshall-Rutty says he doesn't pay attention to the hype around him breaking Davies' record.
'I'd say to get compared to [Davies], obviously I was honoured, but I don't really look at breaking history as the youngest player.
'He's at Bayern Munich and he's achieved so much, obviously. He paved the path for young players like me, but I just think the most important thing when you're younger is just to stay focused on the soccer side. All that young history stuff doesn't really matter at the end of the day.'
Should Marshall-Rutty get his big move to Europe, he will have the ideal opportunity to hone his skills, with him, Davies and Lille forward Jonathan David no doubt excited about the prospect of a World Cup in North America in 2026 as Canada, the United States and Mexico prepare to host the tournament.
'For Canadian soccer players, it's a great time in this generation to be a young athlete like me, because obviously you have Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies and Jonathan Osorio that have proven to the world that Canadians can play soccer too,' he continued.
'I think the biggest thing for me is that I'm in the perfect time to show the world what I can do, because all those players are doing it too.'
The English trio will have to wait a while to sign Marshall-Rutty, with English clubs now banned from signing foreign players until they are 18, but if he continues to make waves with Toronto and Canada, the list of clubs interested in his services will only increase.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com