Real Madrid and Barca face off over Flamengo teenager

Oli Fisher

Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to go head-to-head for the signing of a Brazilian teenage starlet, a report claims.

According to Marca, the LaLiga giants are competing for 17-year-old Flamengo talent Vinicius Junior who is contracted at the club until December 2018.

The report states that both clubs scouted the teenager at the U17 World Cup, with Real Madrid believed to be in pole position due to their good rapport with the player’s entourage.

Marca claims that a meeting has already taken place between Real Madrid representatives and the player’s agent in Madrid at the start of this year.

The Clasico rivals have had duels in the past over talented Brazilian players, including the likes of Ronaldinho and Neymar.

However, there is confusion in the air, as reports in May suggested that Vinicius had signed a deal with Real which will become active on the day of his 18th birthday in July 2018.

Those reports claim that he will rejoin Flamengo on loan for the 2018-19 Spanish season, but Barcelona must clearly feel they have some grounds to challenge the agreement.