Manchester City are reportedly hopeful of beating both Arsenal and Liverpool in the race to sign Norwegian starlet Sverre Nypan.
The 18-year-old midfielder is widely regarded as one of Europe's brightest prospects having excelled in the senior team at Rosenborg.
Nypan became the youngest player in Rosenborg's history when he made his senior debut as a 15-year-old in 2022, and he has since made a total of 60 first-team appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals and providing 11 assists.
The Norway Under-21 international contributed with eight goals and 10 assists in 33 matches during the 2024 campaign, with Rosenborg settling for a fourth-placed finish in the Eliteserien.
Nypan is under contract at Rosenborg until December 2026, but he is widely expected to leave the Scandinavian outfit and join a bigger European club this summer.
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Man City move ahead of Arsenal, Liverpool in Nypan race?
It was recently reported by multiple news outlets, including Football Transfers, that Premier League leaders Liverpool have fully entered the race to sign Nypan this summer.
Arne Slot's side are said to have expressed a strong interest in Nypan and hope to fend off competition from Mikel Arteta's Arsenal for the teenager, who has been labelled the 'next Martin Odegaard'.
Manchester United, Aston Villa and La Liga outfit Getafe have also been credited with an interest, but Man City now appear to have stepped up their pursuit of the midfielder.
According to TBR Football, Man City are ready to offer Nypan a first-team role at the Etihad, as opposed to loaning him out to sister club Girona.
It is claimed that Pep Guardiola's side also hope the opportunity to link up with Norwegian compatriots Erling Haaland and Oscar Bobb could help persuade the youngster to join the club.
Rosenborg are said to be allowing Nypan to make his own decision on his next destination, but interested suitors will be required to pay no less than £20m if they wish to sign the midfielder.
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What does the future hold for in-demand Nypan?
Nypan allegedly held talks with both Man City and Arsenal in January and was in attendance at the Etihad when the Citizens beaten Chelsea 3-1 in the Premier League at the beginning of this year, attending as a guest of Haaland's in his private box.
A January transfer ultimately failed to materialise for Nypan, but he is now set to make a decision on his future before the summer transfer window opens, according to the player's father.
"We know the clubs interest in Sverre. It's been very important. It's not been interesting to be a pawn in a big game," Arne Nypan told VG.
"The clubs that are very interested are also very understanding of this choice and think it is completely okay. Sverre should be part of a long-term project and a generational change.
"He hasn't played a game since the first of December. When he signs in the summer and hopefully has been injury-free, he will be at his best. It is much better to show him off with that starting point.
"We are not going to wait until the summer window opens to make a decision."
Man City are in the market for younger midfield reinforcements amid uncertainty over the long-term futures of Kevin De Bruyne, 33, Ilkay Gundogan, 34, Mateo Kovacic, 30, and Bernardo Silva, 30, the former of whom is out of contract this summer.
Oliver Thomas
