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West Ham & Newcastle Lead Chase for 17-Year-Old Mainz Midfielder Dubbed the New Mesut Ozil

​Both Newcastle and West Ham are interested in Mainz's 17-year-old wonderkid Erkan Eyibil, who has been dubbed the 'new Mesut Ozil' by the Turkish media.


The attacking midfielder has courted the attentions of various European sides following a breakthrough season in Germany with his club's reserve side, in which Eyibil has 12 goals and five assists in just 18 games this season.

News of interest in the youngster comes courtesy of ​Turkish Football, who list the ​Premier League duo as keen admirers of the German-born ace.


A left-footed attacking midfielder who is equally capable of playing out wide, comparisons to ​Arsenal's ​Mesut Ozil have naturally arisen, while the player's heritage has also contributed to his resemblance to the Gunners' number ten.


Of Turkish descent, the teenager has represented Germany at youth level and recently received his first call up to the Under-18 squad, where he could feature in a double header against France on the 22nd and 25th of March.

Mesut Ozil

Despite featuring at youth level for Die Mannschaft, Eyibil will have the option of playing at senior level for either his adopted nation or Turkey.

His rapid rise through the Mainz side has put European clubs on red alert, particularly due to the fact the forward is out of contract - thus the Bundesliga club's hand could be forced in the summer.

Rafael Benitez's ​Newcastle have only scored 31 goals this season, at a rate of one per game, and could be eager to add some creativity to the centre of the park, although he would Eyibil would likely be understudy to new acquisition Miguel Almiron.

Marko Arnautovic

For ​West Ham, the futures of Samir Nasri and ​Marko Arnautovic remain unsure, thus a move for the 17-year-old could be seen as a shrewd move, and even a long-term replacement for Manuel Lanzini.


Source : 90min