<
>

Andrija Zivkovic targeted by Chelsea and Valencia - agent

Chelsea and Valencia are among the clubs battling to sign Serbian youngster Andrija Zivkovic, according to the talented 18-year-old's agent.

Zivkovic has come to prominence at this summer's Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, where he set up the winner for teammate Nemanja Maksimovic in Serbia's last-gasp final win over favourites Brazil and scoring a superb goal in the group stages against Mexico.

The teenager has already become the youngest Partizan Belgrade captain in history and been capped by the Serbian senior side.

He is represented by agents Pedja Djordjevic and Pini Zahavi, and reportedly had just one year remaining on his current contract with Partizan.

Before the World Cup it had seemed that Benfica were best placed to sign Zivkovic, but the attacking midfielder's agent has now told O Jogo that Valencia and Chelsea have also made their interest known.

"[Our aim] is to analyse all the options we have, and decide calmly," Djordjevic said. "Valencia and Chelsea are two of the clubs who are interested in Zivkovic."

Local reports in Valencia say that the signing of Zivkovic is a priority for the club's owner Peter Lim and Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes, who has also helped bring expensive young talent including Rodrigo Moreno, Andre Gomes and Joao Cancelo to Mestalla.

The Liga club are also apparently close to sealing a deal to bring in young Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli to cover for long-term injury victim Diego Alves between the posts next season.

Rulli, 23, impressed on loan at Real Sociedad last season, earning a first international call-up with Argentina.

It had looked like the Basque club had secured his signing for another year at least, with club president Jokin Aperribay saying in early June that he expected a deal to be done soon.

Rulli had said in May that he was happy to stay at Anoeta, and was able to make his own decision about his future.

"The people and the president here know what I want, to stay with la Real," Rulli said. "I hope it can be fixed up with the people who hold my rights. It could be that within a few days I can say that I want to stay here.

"I am part of a business group and that's the problem. But I have the last word, luckily, and everything being equal it is me who makes the decision. They already know what I am going to choose. I hope they let me do that. I cannot be sure of anything yet. But of course I want to stay here [at Real Sociedad]."

The business group referred to are third-party investors who hold the player's economic rights, with his registration held by Uruguayan second division club Deportivo Maldonado.

Valencia-based paper Superdeporte claims that it is possible that Manchester City will buy Rulli outright this summer, and then loan him to Valencia for the 2015-16 season.