Liverpool are on the verge of signing Manchester United target Yasser Larouci.
Larouci had attracted strong interest from Old Trafford, with Jose Mourinho keeping tabs on the Le Havre midfielder’s fortunes with a view to a move.
But the Reds have beaten their arch rivals and Premier League counterparts in the race to add the Algeria-born player to the club’s under 23 ranks.
Le Havre had offered Larouci a new contract in a bid to stave off potential suitors but the player rejected the proposal prior to agreeing a move to Merseyside.
The 16-year-old is the latest graduate of the Ligue 2 club’s academy tipped to follow in the footsteps of Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet and Riyad Mahrez.
Anfield officials previously dealt with Le Havre in the early 2000s when Gerard Houllier signed promising youngsters Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec.