City look to beat Chelsea for Portuguese wonderkid with reported £22.25m bid

Manchester City have offered €25m (£22.25m) for Sporting Lisbon striker Rafael Leao, according to Arab News.

The 18 year old is also reportedly a target for Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid, but City are believed to have moved quickly in order to secure the signing of the Portuguese starlet.

Leao already has one cap for Portugal’s Under 21 side, and made his senior debut for Sporting earlier this season in the Portuguese Cup.

The forward made an instant impact, scoring in the 4-2 win over ARC Oleiros. Following the performance, he was offered a contract extension which keeps him at Sporting until 2022, with a €60m release clause.

At the weekend, Leao made his first league appearance, coming on as a second half substitute in the 2-0 win over Feirense. How many more appearances he will make for Sporting, considering City’s reported bid, it remains to be seen.

The Portuguese newspaper Record has confirmed City’s interest in the striker, but we don’t know how close the Premier League leaders are to actually signing the player.