Report: Aston Villa, Brighton both eyeing Benin wonderkid Rodolfo Aloko

Elsewhere, Bundesliga outfits RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt, and La Liga club Sevilla all monitoring his progress.

Aloko, 18, currently plays for NK Kustosija, a Zagreb-based Croatian side renowned for nurturing young talent and selling them on to bigger clubs.

Kustosija believe Aloko's athleticism, pace and power make him especially well suited to the Premier League, and the club is reportedly willing to sanction a transfer if their 4.75-million-pound valuation is met.

The teenager was recently called up to the Benin senior national team, earning his first cap against Morocco last month after previously featuring for the country's U20s. His rapid development has seen him emerge as one of Kustosija's most promising exports yet.

Kustosija have an impressive recent track record in the transfer market. Lovro Chelfi, another 18-year-old midfielder, was sold to Barcelona despite strong interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.

Defender Mika Faye also moved to the Catalan giants before switching to Rennes, while forwards Leo Bartolovic and Baye Coulibaly both joined Charlotte FC in MLS for a combined fee of nearly 2 million pounds.

Teenage striker Dino Klapija, once a target for Arsenal and Manchester United, was sold to RB Leipzig for 4.5 million.