Arsenal leads the race to sign Barcelona and Juventus target.
A three-way battle between Arsenal, Barcelona, and Juventus is to take place for the signing of young Portuguese starlet from Sporting CP.
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The Spanish giants are closely monitoring the 17-year-old starlet from Portugal, Joelson Fernandes. The youngster has recently appeared for Sporting Lisbon’s first-team squad, impressing many to make an official approach.
Barca are already planning to build a squad for the future and have already secured youth stars such as Francisco Trincão and Pedri from Braga and Las Palmas respectively. They have recently acquired a Spanish prodigy in the form of Fabián Luzzi, who was heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Fernandes is next on the line for the Catalan side but both Arsenal and Juventus are planning to hinder the transfer by making their own official bids. AS reports that the Gunners are planning to pay the 45 million euros release clause set by the Portuguese side in order to acquire the teenager.
Meanwhile, Sporting are not willing to let their starlet leave so easily as they plan to pin him down with a contract renewal which could secure him until 2025 with a new release clause of an incredible 90 million euro tag.
Joelson shares a common representative with another Blaugrana player, Philippe Coutinho, and the treatment he received at Camp Nou could potentially hinder the Spanish giant’s chances to take the lead back from the Premier League side.
Should Barca challenge Arsenal for Fernandes?