Real Madrid Vie For River Plate Youngster Daniel Villalva

Real Madrid have entered the race for River Plate youngster Daniel Villalva, according to reports.

The 17-year old has recently attracted the attention of Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, who was interested in bringing the playmaker to England.

However, The News of the World reports that Real Madrid could be set to hijack the bid for the exciting youngster, and are set to make a massive bid to secure Villalva for next season.

Club president Florentino Perez is well aware of the reputation of the player in South America, and is keen to secure his services as he looks to bring in emerging talent to boost Los Blancos’ squad.

The striker has only recently broken into the Argentine sides’ first team, but is already gathering attention from across Europe, and it appears a move could be imminent.

Los Merengues' city rivals Atletico Madrid are also thought to be in the hunt for Villalva, who is currently a member of Argentina’s U-17 squad, and is set for a move to the senior set up in the near future.