Liverpool and Tottenham 'interested' in 19-year-old Moroccan talent

Liverpool are set to rival Tottenham over the potential signing of Genk's Bilal El Khannouss, according to reports in Italy.

The 19-year-old was one of the youngest players at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, making his full international debut in the third-place play-off defeat against Croatia.

At club level, he plays for Genk in Belgium - a team who have been responsible for developing world-class talents such as Thibaut Courtois Kevin De Bruyne, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic across the years. El Khannouss has only recently developed into a first-team starter and he's already featured 26 times across this season thanks to his club's involvement in European qualifiers at the stat of the season. So far he has three goals and two assists and he operates as an attacking midfielder, or out wide if needed.

In terms of the links, according to Italian outlet Il Corriere Dello Sport, they claim that the youngster has caught the attention of Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Liverpool who would have to pay at least €18m (roughly £15.5m). El Khannouss currently has a contract that runs until 2027 so it remains to be seen how long he'll remain there before making a big move away.

Outside of his club form, he starred for the U23 side who triumphed at the African Cup of Nations, as he assisted his nation’s equaliser against Egypt to help his side to a famous 2-1 victory over Egypt in extra time.

Furthermore, his family are his agents which mean the club would have to make the best possible proposition if they are to sign the youngster in the future. But with the likes of Harvey Elliott, Stefan Bajcetic and Fabio Carvalho on the books it is clear that Liverpool are already blessed with young talent in their squad.