Exclusive: Liverpool join queue of clubs looking to sign teenaged 'gem' set to light up U20 World Cup
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Exclusive with Graeme Bailey.
Liverpool are ready to throw their hat into the ring as the race to sign Mexican wonderkid Gilberto Mora heats up, Rousing The Kop can reveal.
Mora has emerged as one of the most exciting talents in world football after making his first team debut aged just 15.
The now 16-year-old is set to star for Mexico at the U20 World Cup, which starts on Friday in Chile.
Liverpool scouts are heading to South America to watch the tournament, and Mora is understood to feature high on their list of potential targets.
The Reds are far from alone in their interest, however, with top European clubs including Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester United known to have Mora on their radar.
David Beckham’s Inter Miami are also understood to be keen on bringing the attacking midfielder to MLS.
Photo by Gonzalo Gonzalez/Jam Media/Getty Images
Although Mora is still eligible to feature at the U17 World Cup scheduled to take place in Qatar next month, he has instead been included in Mexico’s U20 squad.
If that speaks to how highly the Tijuana youngster is rated, his five senior caps for the Mexico national team paint a picture of a potentially generational talent.
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With Mora likely to leave Mexico in the coming years, RTK have been told that Liverpool scouts are interested in collecting a more rounded picture of his game while in Chile.
While he is far from the only talent on their watch list over the next month, there is a general feeling amongst scouts that Mora could be the breakout star of the tournament.
The teenager is understood to have his eyes on a place in Mexico’s World Cup squad next summer, with the team’s status as a home nation catapulting him towards stardom.
Liverpool are aware that the race for his signature could then become even more crowded, and are keen to make as much early progress as possible.
Although Liverpool are not exactly late to the party when it comes to Mora, they are not early either.
While his next steps are yet to be decided and the race is still open, there is understood to be an acceptance that Real Madrid may hold a slight advantage when it comes to Mora.
Like Liverpool, Los Blancos are well aware of the player’s talent, and are likely to be watching his progress in Chile.
Given the links to Madrid and Hugo Sanchez – arguably Mexico’s greatest ever footballer – there is a ‘love affair’ between country and club which could lead to Mora following in Sanchez’s footsteps.