17-year-old sensation's transfer preference emerges amid interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid - Reports
Chelsea and Real Madrid are interested in signing teenage star Naj Razi, who is one of the most highly rated teenage stars in the world. The young midfielder, however, is keen to join Los Blancos over a move to London if he has to choose.
Republic of Ireland youth international Razi has been a shining star at Shamrock Rovers in his native country since his debut last July. The 17-year-old has caught the eye of many top sides, including Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Chelsea have targeted young, bright talents in the years since the arrival of Todd Boehly and his ownership group. They are looking to continue on this path with their pursuit of Razi.
Real Madrid have also invested heavily in youngsters, and are beginning to see the fruits of their investment in the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Jr, and Aurelien Tchouameni. To continue along this path, they are trying to sign teenage sensation Naj Razi.
The English side will face a stumbing block in their pursuit of the youngster due to Brexit rules, which state that Razi can only move to England when he turns 18. Real Madrid are also keen on the starlet, who plans on staying for a couple of more years at Shamrock Rovers.
As per Defensa Central, Los Blancos are prepared to sign the youngster and allow him join after his 18th birthday, like Endrick. The Blues also did same with 16-year-old Ecuador international Kendry Paez.
Naj Razi has the potential to be one of the finest players of his generation, given what he has shown so far. The teenager will move to his next club in January 2025, at the earliest, and many teams will continue to vie for him until then.
Chelsea aiming to follow Real Madrid's footstep
In recent windows, Chelsea have adopted the system used by Real Madrid to sign the likes of Vinicius Jr, Martin Odegaard, and Rodrygo. They have almost exclusively signed players aged 25 and under, as they look to build for the future.
Both sides went head-to-head last year in their pursuit of 18-year-old USMNT goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina from the Chicago Fire. Chelsea finally managed to sign the player after spending around £10 million.
The Spanish giant have tasted success using this system, and are well aware of its pros and cons. Los Blancos have nurtured a young squad, many of whom are already senior members of their team and have played key roles in their recent successes.
Chelsea have a way to go to reach the levels of the project carried out by the Spanish giants. They are at the early stages of their project and will have a thing or two to learn from Los Blancos.