"?Bayern Munich are reportedly close to sealing a deal for teenage Palmeira forward Gabriel Jesus, a player so highly thought of that he has already drawn comparisons with Neymar. It seems, however, they may yet still face strong competition from Juventus.
A report from La Repubblica over the weekend appeared to suggest that Bayern are on the verge of making the 19-year-old their second teenage capture of the summer after already prising Renato Sanches away from Benfica.
One of the day's biggest stories, Bayern and Juventus seem to be battling it out for Palmeiras' Gabriel Jesus (19).
Local reports in Brazil then seemed to confirm the interest in Jesus from Bavaria. It has since been claimed that an Italian scout who has ties to Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has been to Brazil to watch Jesus in action.
But the youngster, who has been in the Palmeiras first-team since last year and will be a team-mate of Neymar's at the Olympic games on home soil later this summer, has the attention of more than just Bayern.
It is said that RB Leipzig, part of the growing Red Bull family, who also own Red Bull Brasil in Sao Paulo, are keen as well. To that end, Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick is believed to have travelled over to South America to see Jesus and a handful of other talents up close.
The biggest competition to Bayern at this moment in time appears to be from Juventus. A report from CalcioMercato has claimed that the reigning Serie A champions have made their own approach to sign the player.
It is said that while Jesus has a release clause of €40m, Juve have offered, or have at least made it clear that they are willing to offer, a fee of €25m. Palmeiras may not demand the full value of the release clause, but are apparently holding out for at least €35m.
The ball is therefore in Juve's court as they decide their next move, but time could very well be of the essence. After the Olympics, Jesus' release clause is rumoured to be in line to drop to just €24m, which will open up the market and see the competition soar to a new level.
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