Liverpool are among the clubs keeping a close eye on Nicolás Scotti, the teenage winger from Defensor Sporting whose rapid rise in Uruguay is beginning to attract serious international attention. According to TeamTalk , the 16-year-old has gone from youth prospect to a player under active observation from some of Europe’s biggest sides.

Scotti, born in 2009, is described as a right-sided attacker who can play across either flank. He made his senior debut in August and has already collected minutes in Uruguay’s Primera División, including a late outing in a 1-0 win over Danubio. At youth international level, he has represented Uruguay Under-17 and Under-18, and “was part of the Under-17 side that qualified for the U17 World Cup.”

Liverpool’s interest is not new, with the report stating the club have been monitoring Scotti’s development and had previously “edged ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, who were also said to be tracking his progress.” That said, this is clearly a race that is broadening rather than narrowing.

TeamTalk reports that “in Brazil, São Paulo and Atlético Mineiro have made enquiries. No agreement has been met yet.” The player’s contract is also a notable part of the picture, with “a release clause of about $8million (£6m).” There is further encouragement for interested clubs in the suggestion that Defensor, a club known to rely on player trading, “are understood to be open to a fee below that figure if a formal offer arrives.”

The key obstacle is regulatory rather than financial. “English clubs cannot register an overseas player under 18,” which places an immediate limit on what Liverpool or any Premier League rival can do. Scotti “does not turn 18 until November 2027,” so any move from Anfield’s perspective would need to be carefully staged.

That makes the current situation one of planning, relationship-building and long-term positioning. As the report explains, “the realistic path for a Premier League side is to keep watching, and perhaps agree something in principle, rather than complete a transfer now.”

There is another twist too, and it is the one likely to sharpen Liverpool’s thinking. “Sources have added Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain to the list of clubs watching him closely.” Once clubs of that stature move from monitoring to action, the landscape can change quickly.

The report adds that “if either of the Spanish giants are to make serious moves then that would be a problem for English sides.” That feels like an accurate reading of the situation, particularly for a South American talent whose pathway and preferences may be shaped by football heritage. Scotti “comes from a football family: his father, Diego Scotti, is a former player, and his uncle, Andrés Scotti, represented Uruguay.”