Newcastle United have been joined in the pursuit for youngster Calum Kavanagh by Celtic, according to reports.
The Herald have reported that the Ireland international is the envy of many clubs within Britain, with Leicester City, Chelsea and Arsenal all reported to be sniffing around the for the Middlesbrough youngster.
So far this season, despite being just 16, he has managed to bag six times and assist once in 13 games in the U18 Premier League for Boro.
Unsurprisingly, this kind of form has caught the attention of some big clubs, with Celtic being the latest to join the party.
Calum has football in his roots. His father, Graham, went on to rack up 16 appearances for the Republic of Ireland, as well as play for Middlesbrough, Stoke City, Wigan, Sunderland and many others.
It is said that Boro are desperate to keep hold of him – hardly surprising given his record – and have subsequently offered him a three-year professional contract.
Nevertheless, with the prospect of joining many clubs with great academies, this might prove to be very difficult.
In all honesty, the only thing the Magpies have going for them in the face for this starlet is the fact that they are the closest geographically out of the sides interested.
Apart from that, they might find it hard to compete with Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal, and while they are playing at a better standard than Celtic, the way in which they have been able to bring through youngsters in recent years might make the club an attractive prospect for him.
Kavanagh has already gone onto make four appearances for Ireland’s U17 side, scoring once from four games.
Newcastle should try and make the best offer they can for the player, as his statistics prove that he is clearly a huge talent. Given they are local to Middlesbrough, if they try and convince him that Tynecastle is the best place to continue his development, it would be a great signing for the future.