Championship play-off rivals Aston Villa and West Brom are in the hunt to sign Mainz wonderkid Ekran Eyibil, according to Turkish Football.
The news outlet claims that Newcastle and West Ham have also been keeping tabs on the 17-year-old attacker, who has been in red-hot form for the Bundesliga club’s Under-19s side this season by scoring 17 goals and supplying five assists in 20 appearances.
It is understood that the Germany Under-18 international is also wanted by Fenerbahce and Bestikas due to his eligibility to play for the Turkey national team.
Good move for Aston Villa?
Eyibil has been on fire in Germany this season, but there is a massive difference from being able to score a lot of goals for a youth team than there is stepping up to a senior side in England.
The left-footed attacker appears to be some way off that yet but the signs he has shown so far have been promising and Villa could do with adding a quality player like him to their ranks in the hopes that one day he breaks into the first team.
Mainz might be able to demand a lot of money for Eyibil due to the amount of interest in him and it may depend on whether or not Aston Villa get promoted for them to snap up the attacking midfielder.
West Brom stand between Aston Villa and the play-off final, so it seems as though even more is at stake over the next week than what was originally thought.
This is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
Eyibil could find a move to Turkey to be something that interests him.
He would have a more direct route to senior football with one of the Istanbul sides and if he does end up playing for the Turkey national side, it would make a lot of sense to head to Bestikas or Fenerbahce.
Villa do stand a chance of signing the teenage sensation but it’s way too soon to tell where he will head, if anywhere, in the summer.
This is Futbol rating 2/10