Arsenal and Manchester United have both been linked with a move for Rosenborg starlet Sverre Nypan, but it appears as though Aston Villa are set to win the race for the midfielder

Arsenal look set to miss out on a deal for Norwegian wonderkid Sverre Nypan, with Aston Villa now reportedly leading the race. The Gunners were among the top contenders for the 18-year-old midfielder, with Manchester United and Girona also linked.

Nypan has been compared to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and he starred for Rosenborg last season, producing 18 goal contributions in 33 appearances across all competitions. However, it seems Villa are now in pole position to sign Nypan.

According to a report from the Athletic, Villa are 'working to close a deal' for the teenager who is said to be 'enthusiastic' about joining Unai Emery's side. However, they are yet to agree a fee with Rosenborg or personal terms with the player yet.

The news comes after it was revealed that United were out of the race for Nypan as his agent, Rafaele Pimenta, narrowed down the list of potential destinations. Rosenborg's sporting director Mikael Dorsin told Norwegian broadcaster TV2 earlier this year that the club had yet to receive any formal offers for Nypan.

"I'll deal with what comes and then we'll take it there and then," he said. "That's how I think. We have Sverre here as long as he is here, and then we will see what happens.

"We are happy for the time we have him here and we understand that there is a lot of interest around him. When someone comes along who wants to get involved, they get involved. We'll see when it happens.

"There's always a bit of a gap between interest and concrete action, but once it happens, it usually happens pretty quickly. But it's clear that there's a lot of interest. That speaks for itself."

Both Arsenal and United are now set to turn their attention elsewhere ahead of a huge summer transfer window, with the Gunners feeling confident about their chances of signing Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Mirror Football understands that Arsenal anticipate having a clear run at Zubimendi, who has a £51million release clause in his contract. The foundations for the deal were laid long before Edu stood down as Arsenal's sporting director and Andrea Berta was appointed as his replacement.

Zubimendi did come close to making a move to the Premier League last summer, but he ultimately decided to reject the chance to join Liverpool and remain at Sociedad. Explaining his decision, Zubimendi told El Diario Vasco : "I went on vacation, and it caught me by surprise.

"It wasn't something I had planned. I reacted when the situation arose. It was an uncomfortable time for me but I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the best option was to stay. I don't believe in 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunities.

"If you're good and want to achieve something, it will come to you. There's no need to rush. I looked at my personal progression, who I am, and the club's project. I stayed because I knew this season would be important for me in the team, and I still had steps to take.

"It wasn't that hard of a decision. There were many reasons for my decision, but I was selfish and thought about what was best for me – and that was staying."