Race Hots Up for Porto's Diogo Dalot as Juventus & Napoli Scout Portuguese Starlet

Juventus and Napoli are set to lock horns in the race to sign Porto wonderkid Diogo Dalot, according to reports in Italy.

The 18-year old, who starred for Portugal's Under-20 side during last summer's World Cup, is reported to have been watched by a pool of Serie A scouts during Porto B's 3-1 win over Benfica B at the weekend.

The full-back had an eventful game, scoring and creating a goal, before being sent off with just over ten minutes remaining.

It is understood that Dalot, who plays at right-back, has been interesting several teams around Europe in recent months, and was linked with a move to Barcelona and Real Madrid towards the end of last season.

Juve's interest will come as no surprise as the Old Lady look for a long-term replacement for current first choice Stephan Lichtsteiner, who turns 34 this month, while Napoli are looking to strengthen as they push towards a first Serie A title since 1990.

Dalot is seen as one of Portugal's brightest defensive prospects in recent years, with credit for his development attributed to the highly successful academy setup at Porto.

Image by Toby Cudworth

The youngster is yet to break into the first-team setup at Porto, but has flourished at international youth level, winning the Under-17s European Championship title back in 2016 and establishing himself as first choice in the Under 20s setup this year.

The Dragões reportedly turned down an €10m offer from Barcelona last season, with reports suggesting the club are not willing to consider sanctioning a deal for anything lower than Dalot's rumoured €20m release clause.