Man Utd blow Arsenal, Chelsea out of the water in race for 'new Odegaard'

18 Sept 2026 17:51 BST |
4 min read

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Manchester United are firmly in the race to sign Valerenga sensation Gabriel Rajkovic amid reports of interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.

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The 15-year-old has become the biggest attraction in Norwegian football since the emergence of Martin Odegaard. Earlier this year, he broke the Arsenal captain’s record when he became the youngest-ever debutant in the Eliteserien.

Rajkovic has been with Valerenga’s first team since January, when he was still 14. In March, he made his competitive debut following his 15th birthday a few days earlier. He has gone from strength to strength since.

He bagged his first senior goal in August and added his second a month later. Since May, he has appeared in all but one game for Valerenga, and while he is not yet a guaranteed starter, he is certainly making a name for himself.

Last week, it was claimed that Arsenal and Chelsea were among the clubs most keenly following Rajkovic’s development – despite the fact that he can’t move to the UK until he turns 18 in February 2029. Now, it has been revealed that Barcelona and Man Utd are also in the mix.

Barca and Man Utd have Rajkovic advantage

According to TV2, it is true that Arsenal and Chelsea are following the 15-year-old, but there is currently no indication that any club is leading the race to sign him. It’s quite simply too early for that.

However, the Norwegian outlet does acknowledge that Barcelona and Man Utd may have an advantage in the race to sign Rajkovic. The former could be an attractive destination because they can already sign him when he turns 16 next year.

The latter, meanwhile, may have an emotional edge. The teenager grew up supporting Man Utd and has never made a secret of the fact that he would like to play for them.

Man Utd could pre-agree a deal for the youngster, but as Chelsea have found out with Kendry Paez, signing a prospect several years in advance is a major risk because there is no guarantee that they develop as expected.

For now, Rajkovic insists that he is fully focused on Valerenga, and the publication’s information confirms that a transfer is not being discussed or considered at this stage. There also haven’t been any offers for the versatile attacker yet.

He could be on the move next summer, but again, it’s too early for a direction of travel to emerge. What is already clear, though, is that Valerenga want to make Rajkovic the most expensive Eliteserien export ever, which would necessitate a fee north of €20 million.

Man Utd scouts watched Rajkovic score against Sarpsborg earlier this month, but this doesn’t really mean anything, the outlet claims. Pretty much all major clubs around Europe are keeping tabs on “Norwegian football’s hottest talent.”

The report has also revealed that Rajkovic isn’t just eligible for Norway and Serbia, as had been known previously. He can also represent Belgium and Morocco due to his grandparents, but his heart beats for his Scandinavian homeland.

His international future seems settled, but his club future will only become clearer in 2027.