Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Shamrock Rovers wonderkid Naj Razi. Arsenal and Chelsea are also claimed to have been watching the midfielder but Brexit means a move to the Premier League is currently not on the cards.
Brexit prevents English clubs from signing players from abroad until they turn 18. Razi only recently turned 17 so won’t be able to move to England until next October at least.
Razi, a Republic of Ireland under-17 international, has already made six first-team appearances for Shamrock. He featured in the Europa Conference League qualifying defeat to Hungarian side Ferencvaros in July.
Despite only making a handful of appearances, it appears he is already catching the eye. Several big-name sides are linked with his signature.
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The Irish Examiner says Real Madrid are among the European teams monitoring Razi’s progress. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are also watching his development closely.
It is claimed that senior Arsenal scouts recently visited Dublin to see him first-hand. However, the Gunners won’t be able to sign him just yet.
Razi only turned 17 on Saturday and rules state English sides have to wait until he is 18 before signing him. Real could sneak in and beat them to a deal as Spain are still a part of the European Union.
The rule came into fruition in December 2020, with the FA confirming that it was to be made harder for English clubs to sign young talent from the EU. A statement read: “Post Brexit, clubs will not be able to sign players freely from the EU.
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“Players from EU countries who want to play in the Premier League or EFL will be required to gain a GBE, like all other overseas players without the right to work in the UK. Under FIFA’s rules, the UK’s exit from the EU will also mean that clubs will not be able to sign players from overseas until they are 18.”
Razi, meanwhile, played the entirety of Shamrock’s goalless draw against Cork on Monday. His manager Stephen Bradley hailed the teenager’s performance afterwards following speculation over his future and insists he is fully focused on performing for Rovers.
Bradley said: “They were very good on a pitch that was really bad, the worst we’ve played on domestically. Naj is level-headed, he doesn’t get carried away and works extremely hard, a good kid. He doesn’t listen to the noise.”
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