Manchester United are allegedly battling Barcelona for the signature of Rapid Vienna’s 17-year-old playmaker Yusuf Demir.
Kronen Zeitung claims the Red Devils are chasing the Austrian sensation but face competition from the Catalan giants.
Yusuf has broken into Rapid’s senior team and featured against Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League this term.
The report states Yusuf could find himself at the Camp Nou outfit but not until the summer at the earliest.
His agent, Emre Ozturk, sparked major transfer rumours by sharing a photo online of him in Spain.
Demir’s entourage captioned the shot ‘ready for meeting’ ahead of a possible move to LaLiga.
However, in spite of many presuming he was holding discussions over Demir’s future, Emre claimed he was on a business trip of a different nature.
Ozturk said: “I’m not in Barcelona because of Yusuf Demir, but because of Shkodran Mustafi from Arsenal, whom we also represent.”
Demir has featured in ten games in the Austrian Bundesliga thus far this season, notching one goal and two assists.
The player’s management are allegedly exploring the ‘general conditions’ with Blaugrana and are seeking assurances about what the Catalans have planned for their highly rated prospect.
Demir has a contract until June 2022 which he signed at just 15 and has impressed European heavyweights playing as an inverted winger.
The left-footed player has quick feet and is technically gifted with a great range of passing and would fit in well in La Liga.
But United are also interested in the player as the Old Trafford club continue their shift in recruitment strategy towards youngsters rather than targeting already established pros.
