West Ham and Newcastle set for transfer scrap over next Mesut Ozil as Mainz plot sale

WEST HAM UNITED are scouting German wonder kid Erkan Eyibil who is yet to make his first team debut for Bundesliga outfit Mainz.

Posted Sunday, March 24, 2019 by Express.co.uk

West Ham and Newcastle set for transfer scrap over next Mesut Ozil as Mainz plot sale
West Ham and Newcastle are both chasing Erkan Eyibil (Image: Getty)

Attacking midfielder Eyibil is only 17 but has already been likened to Arsenal star Mesut Ozil.

His rapid rise through the German national youth ranks has not gone unnoticed by many clubs in England.

He is rated as one of the hottest youth stars in German football after scoring 12 goals in 18 appearances in the U19 Southern League this season.

With five assists also to his name, Eyibil has shown an adeptness across several attacking positions.

The teenager has one year left on his contract but won’t commit himself to a new deal.

Interest from England in West Ham and Newcastle has turned his head, but Mainz are eager to keep him.

The club could bargain for a steeper fee should Eyibil develop at the club, but with contract talks at an impasse their hand may be forced.

They are therefore weighing up whether to just cash in now instead of letting time run down his contract.

West Ham and Newcastle set for transfer scrap over next Mesut Ozil as Mainz plot sale
West Ham and Newcastle are keen on Erkan Eyibil's complex abilities (Image: Getty)

West Ham and Newcastle set for transfer scrap over next Mesut Ozil as Mainz plot sale
West Ham and Newcastle took note after Erkan Eyibil's rise through the national youth ranks (Image: Getty)

Comparisons with Ozil came naturally to Eyibil, not just in his manner of play.

He was also born in Germany to Turkish parents, and Galatasaray have been monitoring the forward’s performance in hope of luring him to his parents’ homeland.

The Super Lig champions face a tough task outmuscling sides the stature of West Ham and Newcastle, however.

FIFA rules currently state players aged 18 or under can only be transferred abroad if one of three criteria are met: if their parents emigrated for non-footballing reasons, both clubs are in the EU or European Economic Area and the player is aged between 16 and 18 or the player lives within 100km of the new club.