Reports: Chelsea favorites ahead of Barcelona to complete signing of Bayer Leverkusen star

What's the story?

Akkaynak, 18, is one of the most talented youngsters in German football at the moment and latest reports in Daily Express claim that Premier League Champions Chelsea and Spanish giants Barcelona are set to go head to head in order to complete the signing of the highly rated Bayer Leverkusen youngster.

Although the transfer window is only set to reopen in January, both Chelsea and Barcelona are keen on signing the midfielder with the Blues' scouts extremely impressed with Akkaynak's maturity and composure in the centre of the pitch.

Leverkusen are interested in cashing in on their most exciting prospect and the Premier League Champions are said to be close to agreeing a deal for the German U-18 captain.

In case you didn't know...

The 18-year-old holds both German and Turkish citizenship and even rejected a chance to represent Turkey at the senior level. A versatile midfielder who has already played in centre, attacking and defensive midfielder roles in his short career so far, Akkaynak is tipped for great things and Chelsea are keen to tie up the deal as soon as possible.

Barcelona, on the other hand, are also looking to freshen up their midfield and the talented youngster could be an ideal option to replace the likes of Rakitic and Iniesta in the future. Highly coveted by all the top clubs across Europe, Chelsea are believed to be the frontrunners for his signature at the moment.

The heart of the matter

The Chelsea scouting team is renowned for finding talented youngsters and the Bkues have made a habit of signing talented youngsters and sending them out to loan on various clubs to Europe.

Akkaynak, however, looks like the real deal and some of the scouts believe that the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder could be part of the senior set up as soon as next season. With clubs like Chelsea and Barcelona interested in him, Akkaynak will have a huge decision to make regarding his future in January.

What's next?

Antonio Conte is reportedly unhappy with the transfer business done by Chelsea this summer. Although Akkaynak might not be an immediate starter in the first team, his signing will be an excellent addition to the Chelsea squad.

Barcelona meanwhile have had transfer troubles of their own and the Spanish giants will be desperate to tie up one of the game's premier talents and groom him for the future.

Author's take

Still only 18, Akkaynak with his brief appearances has shown that he is capable of becoming a world class star in the future. Although the signing could prove to be a slight risk, Akkaynak is a gamble well worth taking and both Chelsea and Barcelona should do everything in their power to complete the deal as soon as possible.