Leicester reportedly set to beat Liverpool to signing of Grimsby youngster | OneFootball

Leicester City are reportedly set to beat Liverpool to the signing of 16-year-old Grimsby Town midfielder Ben Grist at the end of the season.

According to the Daily Mail, Leicester are expected to sign Grist this summer despite interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

The report claims United thought they were going to win the race for Grist, but Leicester have now jumped ahead of them are poised to add him to their youth ranks.

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ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

In terms of Grist as a player, it is near-on impossible to judge him as Transfermarkt has virtually no data on the midfielder. He has not made his first-team debut for Grimsby or played in the EFL Trophy, according to the website, which makes it hard to gauge what sort of level he is currently at. However, he is only 16 and he appears to be a signing for the future, which makes the present somewhat irrelevant.

The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Leicester and United have clearly seen potential in him, given their interest, which suggests that he has been catching the eye at youth level for Grimsby. This means that Liverpool could be set to miss out on a young star if Grist makes the switch to Leicester this summer.

We will not know whether or not it is a blow for Liverpool for a number of years, though, as we will need to wait until he develops as he grows older. For example, if he gets to the age of 22 and is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League for Leicester then Liverpool may regret not pushing harder for a deal.