Borussia Monchengladbach have admitted their interest in Australian teenager Jacob Italiano but expect FIFA's international transfer regulations to prevent a move immediately.
Italiano, 16, is on the Bundesliga club's radar following a string of promising performances for A-League outfit Perth Glory.
Gladbach's director of sport Max Eberl revealed he is "very interested" in signing Italiano despite conceding a transfer will be difficult to force through.
"The player is only 16 years old. So we should not commit to him yet," Eberl told a news conference ahead of Wednesday's DFB-Pokal clash against Bayer Leverkusen.
A report by Perth's Sunday Times has claimed the player will join Gladbach when he turns 18 in July, 2019.
: "We're familiar with Jacob Italiano and are very interested in him, but he's only 16 - we're not allowed to sign him yet anyway." December 19, 2017
