West Bromwich Albion starlet Reyes Cleary is wanted by European big guns Borussia Dortmund, according to the Daily Mail.

That's not the only German club interested in the 17-year-old's signature though as Hoffenheim are also tracking the striker.

Cleary first appeared for the Baggies in the under-18's Premier League back in February 2020 as a 15-year-old, coming on for the final two minutes in a loss against Stoke City.

He found the back of the net eight times in 15 appearances for the same team last season and has already kicked off the 2021-22 campaign in hot form, scoring six times in three outings - with all of those being braces against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Fulham.

 

 

 

 

Cleary's performances have attracted interest now from overseas, with the Mail reporting that both Dortmund and Hoffenheim scouted the versatile forward against Chelsea and have maintained a watching brief over his progress.

Premier League outfits and Italian teams are also interested in the teenager, who has yet to sign a professional deal with Albion and much like Louie Barry, who is now at Aston Villa after departing The Hawthorns for Barcelona in 2019, Cleary could jump ship before turning professional.

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The Verdict

The Baggies have now lost a few talented youngsters to other clubs and they can't afford to lose many more.

Just a few months ago Tim Iroegbunam switched allegiances to Aston Villa, joining former Baggie Barry there despite his chances of first-team football in the immediate future being probably slightly higher where he once was.

There are a couple of youngsters waiting in the wings to get a chance such as Rayhaan Tulloch, but Cleary looks like he could be the most promising of the last few years.

He appears to be a powerful, mobile striker and that's seemingly what Ismael is looking for in the short-term for his senior squad - with a bit more development Cleary could break through quickly into the first-team but he must decide on whether to commit to professional terms or have his head turned by overseas interest.