Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona to fight it out to sign 19-year-old wonderkid - Reports

European heavyweights Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona are set to lock horns for the signing of Ajax starlet Ryan Gravenberch. The 19-year-old midfielder has become one of the hottest properties in Europe following a series of promising displays in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Many top sides have sounded their interest, including the aforesaid clubs, who are ready to enter a bidding war to secure his services. According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, Los Blancos feel Gravenberch fits their bill perfectly.

Their current midfield triumvirate of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro is also aging, with all players well into their 30s. Madrid hope that young players like Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga will replace them soon, with Gravenberch and Aurelien Tchouameni also likely to join them.

Barcelona are in the race just to improve their options in midfield. Sergio Busquets is not the same force he used to be and while they possess rising stars like Pedri and Frenkie de Jong in their ranks, the Catalans lack quality in depth. The Dutchman's arrival is expected to help fix that problem.

Manchester City preparing for the future

Manchester City, meanwhile, are also looking towards the future as Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho are fast aging. While the first two are in their early 30s, the Brazilian will be 37 by the end of the current season and is unlikely to continue once his contract expires in June.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is also known to foster young talent, having also recently signed 22-year-old Julian Alvarez from Argentinian side River Plate.

But to remain competent in all their title efforts for the foreseeable future, Manchester City would need fresh legs and Gravenberch can hope to become the next superstar under Guardiola's tutelage.

Gravenberch joined Ajax's youth side in 2010 and worked his way up through junior levels before getting called up to the Ajax B side. Following two successful years, the midfielder finally managed to establish himself in the first-team during the 2020/21 season and hasn't looked back ever since.

Overall, Gravenberch has made 89 appearances for the side in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and making 11 assists, which is impressive given he operates from the center of the park.

With four titles under his belt, he has also been awarded a few individual honors, including Ajax Talent of the Year and Dutch Football Talent of the Year.

His talents didn't go unnoticed on the international stage either, with Gravenberech breaking into the Oranje squad and making 10 appearances throughout last year, scoring once.