Report: Celtic and Rangers battling for wonderkid Joaquin Fernandez

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Glasgow Rangers are hoping to bring the 18-year-old to Ibrox, but they will have to see off competition from their Old Firm rivals.

Celtic and Rangers look set to battle over a teenage wonderkid

According to a report from the Daily Record, Celtic and Rangers are both keen on River Plate wonderkid Joaquin Fernandez and plan to keep an eye on the 18-year-old when he takes part in the under-20 Copa Libertadores next month.

The Record reports that Fernandez is one of the hottest prospects in South America right now, and is attracting attention from clubs in England and France.

The Old Firm pair have both spoken to the youngster’s UK-based representatives, according to the Record, and the Gers and Hoops have both supposedly told his agent that they will be monitoring his progress in February’s tournament – which is set to take place in Uruguay.

The Record adds that Aberdeen are also interested in the starlet, so it looks like it may well be a tussle between the Scottish Premiership’s top three for the starlet’s signature – though they may well have a significant amount of competition if he performs well in the South American equivalent of Europe’s Champions League for youth sides.

It may well be something of a gamble to target a teenager who is yet to play in Europe and yet to play any first-team football for his current side, but given the amount of interest in the starlet, it would certainly appear that he is destined for a very bright future.

And with both Celtic and Rangers showing in recent times that the pathway is there for youngsters to come in and make an impact in the first-team – they were seven academy graduates across the two matchday squads for the weekend’s Old Firm clash – it may not be a surprise if Fernandez finds a move to either Parkhead or Ibrox quite tempting if the chance presents itself at some stage in the future.