Premier League champions Manchester City have joined Liverpool in the race to sign highly-rated West Bromwich Albion youngster  Jovan Malcolm, according to Football Insider.

The 16-year-old striker is regarded as one of the brightest young talents at West Brom, but it seems as though the Championship club may struggle to keep hold of the player, as he has attracted the attention from a number of top clubs recently.

It was reported earlier this week that Premier League leaders Liverpool are keeping close tabs on Malcolm, after he scored four goals against their under-18 side at the weekend.

Football Insider now claim that Manchester City have their sights set on the attacker, as they look to sign the best young players in the country.

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Manchester United and Arsenal are also understood to be keen on the forward, who has scored seven goals and provided three assists in nine appearances for West Brom's under-18s this season.

The Baggies are keen to keep hold of the highly-rated youngster, but they cannot tie him down to a professional contract until after his 17th birthday next month.

The Verdict

Malcolm is an exciting young talent and he clearly has a lot of potential - he could have a very big future ahead of him in football.

There's every chance that he could be tempted by the chance to join one of the top Premier League clubs too, which will be extremely frustrating and disappointing for West Brom fans.

The Baggies have developed some very promising and talented young players over the past few years, only to see them leave to join rivals clubs. Albion fans will be hoping that the club can get Malcolm tied down to a professional contract to avoid history repeating itself.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.