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Reports have emerged that Juventus could beat Manchester United in the race to sign 17-year-old Isak Johannesson from Norrkoping.
Johannesson has had a breakthrough season in the Swedish Allsvenskan, and despite his age, he is already proving his mettle in the game. He has contributed four goals and 11 assists from 28 appearances in all competitions to help his side to the 5th spot in the table.
His performances have not gone unnoticed in the continent and several sides including Juventus and Manchester United have been linked with the player. There is also excitement at the international level and Iceland introduced him as a second-half substitute in the UEFA Nations League clash against England.
Johannesson was born in England but his international allegiance now lies with the Scandinavian nation. The attention will now shift to the player's club career and where he chooses to go from here.
Manchester United are understood to be tracking the Iceland international and are keen to make a move this winter. However, the player's nationality could be a spanner in the wheel.
The impending Brexit withdrawal means that English clubs will not be able to sign players under 18 years of age from European clubs. Johannesson will turn 18 only in March, so any potential move might have to wait until next summer.
Juventus, on the hand, do not face any such restrictions and could swoop in to sign the Norrkoping forward in January. It remains to be seen if the player is interested in making the move to Turin.
After wobbly starts, Juventus and Manchester United are slowly getting their campaigns back on track
Neither Juventus nor Manchester United got their domestic campaigns off to the brightest of starts this year. However, both teams are turning things around in their respective leagues.
The Bianconerri began their title defence with just two wins from their first five Serie A games (one of which was a technically awarded 3-0 win over Napoli). A draw against newly-promoted Crotone mounted the pressure on Andrea Pirlo but the Juventus manager was severely hampered by several injuries to key players.
Cristiano Ronaldo's return to full fitness has improved the club's performances, with the Portugal international still firing on all cylinders in the Serie A.
The same can be said about Manchester United, with the Red Devils winning their last two games in the Premier League. A victory on matchday 4 of the Champions League will also keep them on track for qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament.
