Arsenal - Barcelona
Arsenal - Barcelona
European scouting lists fill up quickly when a 15-year-old starts scoring in a senior league. Clubs send staff to modest grounds, take notes on a late equaliser or a first league goal, and the rumour mill then decides who is “winning” a race that has not even reached an offer.
That is how these stories usually run. One English website names two Premier League sides at the front, others copy the line, and a local reporter is left to say the picture on the ground is wider and less tidy.
Work-permit rules and age restrictions matter as much as any scout’s report. They can tilt a deal towards Spain or delay a move to England, even when several clubs have been in the same stand.
READ MORE: Brighton suffer injury crisis with nine players out of Arsenal clash
TV 2 reports that giant clubs are chasing Vålerenga forward Gabriel Rajkovic, but it can dismiss rumours that anyone is leading the race. Barcelona and Manchester United were in the crowd to see him produce big moments.
TeamTalk had claimed Arsenal and Chelsea were out in front. TV 2 says both clubs are interested, but that it is not true they lead the chase or have gained an advantage over the many other sides involved.
Almost every major European club is showing interest, according to the Norwegian outlet. Several have already been in contact to get to know the teenager and some have invited him to train at their facilities.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NOW.ARSENAL WHATSAPP GROUP CHAT TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS!
United scouts were in the stand when Rajkovic scored a stoppage-time equaliser away at Sarpsborg 08 earlier this month. Barcelona representatives were there when he scored his first Eliteserien goal against Bodø/Glimt.
That strike made him Vålerenga’s youngest scorer in the top flight, at 15 years and 166 days. He is contracted to the Oslo club until the end of the 2028 season.
TV 2 says a sale before then is likely, but different rules will decide when and where he can go. UK regulations, it notes, give Spanish clubs an edge in the fight for his signature.
The player himself has not chosen a destination. Asked whether he sees a move next summer, Rajkovic indicated that his focus is fully on Vålerenga and that he has not yet decided if he wants a transfer.
He could also, in time, have a choice of four national teams. That only adds another layer for clubs trying to plan a path from Oslo to a first-team dressing room.
For Arsenal the useful line from Norway is the corrective one. Interest is real, but TV 2 does not accept that the Gunners or Chelsea are ahead of Barcelona, United or the rest of the pack. Until an offer is on the table, the race is still a list of watchers rather than a leader.
Arsenal - Brighton & Hove Albion
Arsenal - Brighton & Hove Albion