Football Express News understands Arsenal and Liverpool have intensified their pursuit of Rubin Kazan teenager Sardar Azmoun, who has been labelled the ‘Iranian Lionel Messi’.
Sources close to both clubs told FEN the gifted 19-year-old is on their radar and they are bracing themselves for a bidding war.
The Gunners have the upper hand on two fronts – exciting attacker Azmoun has already gone public on television show Navad with his opinion that a move to north London would be a dream career trajectory, and Liverpool are still waiting to complete the sale of talisman Luis Suarez.
They are in line to receive close to £70million for the Uruguay international from Barcelona, but are reluctant to pursue further incoming transfers until the deal is signed and sealed.
Rubin are expected to put up a fight to retain their player’s services, and it could be that his suitors must wait until the winter or even next year to land him.
Azmoun’s close dribbling style and eye-catching burst of pace has drawn comparisons to Barca star Messi, although he was left out of the Iran squad for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
It looks set to be the second time in a matter of weeks that the two Premier League rivals battle it out for the same player, having both set their sights on Chile forward Alexis Sanchez.
His move from Barca to the Gunners could go through as early as this afternoon.