Fulham are reportedly battling Spanish giants Barcelona for the signing of Coria teenager José Antonio Gómez Márquez, commonly known as Joselito.

The London club have continued to recruit despite the closure of the transfer window and have sealed deals for Michael Hector and Damien Las in the last week.

It appears they intend to continue as, according to Mundo Deportivo, they’re pushing to make Joselito their next addition.

The teenager has broken through into the first-team of Spanish third division side Coria this season and has reportedly been named in the starting line up for both their games so far.

Mundo Deportivo claim that Fulham have made a ‘firm offer’ to the midfielder to move to Craven Cottage.

According to the report, they want the 15-year-old to travel to England to see the club’s facilities and have the documentation ready to make that happen.

The Championship side look set to face some significant competition, however, as Barcelona, Villarreal and Alaves are all understood to be interested in Joselito.

It seems the player may also take some convincing as he is believed to be happy in his current situation and willing to wait one more year for a move.

The Verdict

Joselito appears to be a talented young player with high potential, given he is already playing first-team football and has attracted the attention of some big clubs.

However, with a player of his age there are absolutely no guarantees how well he will settle and develop should he make the move.

Beating out a European giant like Barcelona would be a huge boost for Fulham and this looks like the sort of signing that could pay dividends for the west London club in years to come.

They may struggle to convince Joselito that Craven Cottage is the best option, given that 16-year-old Ansu Fati is understood to have been recruited from the same region by Barcelona a few years ago and is now getting his opportunity at the Nou Camp.