England and Germany fighting over Liverpool wonderkid in another Jamal Musiala case

England and Germany are locked in a battle to secure a Liverpool wonderkid’s international future in a repeat of Jamal Musiala’s situation.

U16 star Vincent Joseph has been making quite the name for himself on Merseyside this season. The young forward has hit hat-tricks against Stockport and Everton just this month, and his performances have caught the attention of Germany’s youth setup.

Joseph was called up to Germany’s U15 squad for the second time earlier this month, and he went on to make his debut. England though also has its sights set on him, and called him up for a training camp next month.

• Pep Guardiola agrees with Arne Slot verdict on Erik ten Hag after Man Utd exit

• Liverpool transfer news as Brighton midfielder eyed and 19-goal forward targeted

It means the youngster is left in a delicate position as he decides on his international future in a situation similar to the one Bayern Munich star Musiala found himself in not too long ago.

The former Chelsea academy product represented both England and Germany at U16 level, but he appeared to be on the path to the Three Lions’ senior team after moving up the former’s ranks, going on to make his U21 debut in 2020.

Just a few months later though, Musiala decided to represent the country of his birth, and made his senior debut for Germany in March 2021 against Iceland. According to The Athletic, Musiala felt it was right to turn out for the country of his birth, despite having played and lived in the UK as a young boy.

“I’d had a tough choice to make,” he told FourFourTwo last year. “I regularly chatted to the people at the FA and the DFB. They both made it clear that they wanted me to play for them.

“It was a difficult decision, as I was born in Germany but most of my memories growing up are in England – both are a part of me. It was an incredible feeling to get my first Germany cap. It felt right pulling that shirt on and representing my birth nation. I knew that I’d made the right decision."

Musiala has since gone on to become a vital member of Julian Nagelsmann’s side, having won 36 caps at the age of just 21, and been a regular in the team that made it to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 during the summer.

England will no doubt hope to beat Germany to the punch on this occasion with Joseph, but the Liverpool youngster has plenty of time on his side to make a decision on his international future.