Manchester City and Liverpool among clubs keen on signing 17-year-old star from European club - Reports

Manchester City and Liverpool are reportedly set to battle it out for Serbian prodigy Andrija Maksimovic. The 17-year-old, who recently made his debut for Serbia, currently plays for Red Star Belgrade and is regarded as a player with immense potential.

Maksimovic is primarily an attacking midfielder, but is also comfortable playing on the right wing. He impressed last season in Serbia’s second division with Red Star’s feeder club, Graficar, scoring six goals in 24 appearances. The Serbian also began this season strongly, with three goals and two assists in just five games, prompting Red Star to call him up to the first team.

The young talent has since made five appearances for Red Star, contributing one assist. He even started their recent Champions League match against Inter Milan, while also featuring in the UEFA Youth League, scoring in a 2-1 loss to Benfica.

Maksimovic was recently called up to the Serbia national team for the Nations League games and became the youngest player to make his senior debut for the country during Serbia’s win over Switzerland.

Known for his technical skills and ability to glide past defenders from midfield, Maksimovic’s performances have attracted the attention of several top clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester City.

According to reports from Sky Deutschland, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are also interested in the youngster. With his contract running until 2027, Red Star Belgrade are reportedly reluctant to sell, but if an offer around €15 million comes in, the club may consider a deal.

Liverpool and Manchester City set to compete for Spanish star

Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi is currently a highly sought-after player, thanks to his impressive performances for both club and country. Liverpool were close to signing the defensive midfielder this summer, but he chose to remain at his club for the time being.

Arne Slot has utilized Ryan Gravenberch in deep midfield, and the Dutchman has certainly excelled. However, journalist Ian Doyle has indicated that the Reds may make another attempt to sign Zubimendi during the January transfer window, should the player be open to leaving Spain.

“I think if Martin Zubimendi wants to leave Real Sociedad in January, I think Liverpool will try and sign him. We know they’ve got the money for him, otherwise they wouldn’t have approached in the first place," he said (via Empire of the Kop).

Another club interested in his services is Manchester City, who are looking for a replacement for Rodri, following his season-ending ACL injury. According to Calciomercato, the Premier League champions are prepared to trigger the €60 million release clause in Zubimendi’s contract.

It appears that both the clubs may once again compete for the same player, and it will be intriguing to see how the situation unfolds.