Celtic and Rangers have held talks with the agents of Uruguayan wonderkid Joaquin Fernandez and will send scouts to watch him in the Under-20 Copa Libertadores, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper report that Aberdeen have also opened discussions regarding the 18-year-old, with all three to keep tabs on the young River Plate enforcer in next month’s tournament.
Talks between parties are said to have been positive as Fernandez’s representatives try and earn him a move to Europe.
The Record claim that Fernandez is one of South America’s hottest prospects at the moment, and the Uruguay Under-20 international is also attracting interest from clubs in England and France.
The Copa Libertadores is the South American equivalent of the Champions League, and the youth version is to be contested by 12 sides in Uruguay from the 10th to the 24th of February.
Good move by Celtic?
It is still early days, but the Hoops have done well to register their interest in the young star.
Fernandez is attracting some serious interest, and whoever wants to sign the 18-year-old will need to pull out all the stops.
He is obviously highly-rated in South America, and for Celtic to land one of the continent’s brightest young stars could be a stroke of genius from the club.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
With enquiries from England and France, the Scottish clubs look in for a battle if they want to sign the enforcer.
However, the number of clubs holding a concrete interest in signing him will depend on how well Fernandez performs at the Copa Libertadores.
If he has a good tournament, then it may be more likely he looks elsewhere, and end up in England or France rather than Scotland.
This is Futbol rating: 4/10