Manchester United and bitter rivals City are reportedly set to steal a march on Europe's elite clubs by making their move for Gabriel Veron.
The teenager is the latest Brazilian sensation to get the world of football talking, following a remarkable breakthrough season with Palmeiras.
Now Veron, 18, is attracting solid interest in each of Europe's major leagues but it is Premier League giants United and City who have taken rapid steps, according to Spanish publication Sport.
The report outlines that it actually Barcelona who 'control the player's situation,' given his apparent childhood ambition to play at the Nou Camp.
Barca however currently find themselves in a dire financial situation, and look increasingly likely to be unable to dip into the transfer market for the foreseeable future.
Added to this, the situation becomes yet further complicated because the Catalan club are yet to elect their new president, meaning budget allocations and concrete transfer plans are yet to be determined.
The path therefore is reported to have been somewhat cleared for United and City to make their advances, with both clubs said to be aware of Barca's 'difficulty' and are eager to capitalise.
Veron has eight goals and three assists in 33 games since breaking through into the Palmeiras senior ranks.
He has featured at each international age level for Brazil from the U16 to U20s set-up, and was the winner of the Golden Ball award at the U17 World Cup held in his homeland, highlighting him as the tournament's best player.
Veron is contracted to Palmeiras until 2025 and has a £53million (€60m) release clause written into his current contract.
Despite this pricey fee however, it is reported that Palmeiras see his market value is around £20m and would be open to negotiations.
The teenager therefore is well within the price ranges of both United and City, despite the tightening of purse strings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
United recently showed their willingness to spend big money on talented youngsters, after wrapping up a deal to bring in winger Amad Diallo for an overall cost which could reach £37m.
This was despite him being just 18-years-old and having made just five first-team appearances, amounting to a mere 59 minutes for Atalanta over the past 15 months.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com