Manchester United Faces Barcelona In Race To Sign 'Austrian Lionel Messi'

Two of the world’s most famous clubs are tailing a soccer prodigy likened to Lionel Messi.

Austrian Bundesliga wonderkid Yusuf Demir has been drawing attention from big-name clubs across Europe with his impeccable playing style.

English Premier League club Manchester United is already tracking Demir with a plot to make a transfer swoop for the Rapid Wien star at the end of the season, German outlet Fussball Transfers reported.

According to the report, the Red Devils have already held talks with Demir’s representatives in January with Rapid Wien said to be demanding £8.9 million ($12.3 million) in return. However, the deal never managed to materialize.

This summer, Manchester United is expected to pursue Demir once again along with an array of notable targets on the club’s radar.

However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side isn’t the lone club yearning for the 17-year-old as La Liga giant Barcelona is also monitoring Demir’s situation, Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo reported.

The Spanish outlet stated that Barca manager Ronald Koeman is an admirer of Demir’s work and has been yearning to include the forward into his squad.

Like Manchester United, Barcelona is also planning to launch a bid for Demir this summer.

Aside from Manchester United and Barcelona, Demir is also being scouted by German top-flight clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

Demir broke onto the scene in 2019 at, having played a total of six games in his debut season. He even became a star this season after registering six goals and three assists in just 30 appearances for the Austrian side. With the feat, he earned the nickname “Austrian Messi” in the process.

There have been a handful of youngsters touted to become the "New Messi" in recent times. Apparently, Barcelona already copped one in Ansu Fati, one of the club’s most sought-after rising stars.

It can be recalled that Messi himself has vowed to help Fati reach his full potential.

Manchester United, on the other hand, has been recruiting young talents across the globe and also managed to identify a Messi-like prospect as well.

Velez Sarsfield’s Thiago Almada has been known in Argentina as the "New Messi” as his fine form has captured the attention of Manchester United.

A deal for Almada almost came to fruition earlier this year when reports at the time claimed that the Red Devils have “reached an agreement” with the 19-year-old. However, no formal updates on the negotiations have been released.