Saturday, February 06, 2021
Bundesliga vies for top talent
The wild battle for the “Messi of Turkey”
By Tobias Knoop
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Ömer Beyaz is considered to be the greatest football talent in Turkey. His training association Fenerbahce dreams of the 17-year-old pulling the strings next to Mesut Özil in Istanbul. All over Europe clubs vie for the midfielder. Right in the middle: the Bundesliga.
When the rumors rolled over on the deadline day of the winter transfer window, 17-year-old Ömer Beyaz was right in the middle of it. Actually, the media reports on the future of the very young midfielder seemed to have long since got beyond the rumored status.
Beyaz’s advisor Mehmet Eser had already confirmed his client’s change to VfB Stuttgart three days before the end of the transfer to “GazeteFutbol”. “We have agreed on a four-year contract,” was the second part of the quote, or the alleged quote. “Bild” also reported on the supposedly perfect deal.
But in an interview with “Fussballtransfers.com”, Eser rowed back a short time later. The consultant had “denied having made these statements” and a final decision at Beyaz “had not yet been made,” said the report. So it remained in the Beyaz case (initially) with the noise in the virtual forest of leaves – and with the statement of VfB sporting director Sven Mislintat, who had declared that he was “satisfied” with the squad and currently does not want to “add” any more players .
BVB, FC Schalke 04 and Co. interested in Beyaz?
The 17-year-old Beyaz plays in the Turkish U21 national team.
(Foto: imago images/PA Images)
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So much ado about nothing at Ömer Beyaz? Well that the youngster could soon move to Germany, possibly in the summer, is by no means off the table, despite the curious Stuttgart posse.
In addition to VfB, Beyaz should also be very popular with BVB and Schalke. Turkish media recently reported an agreement with the royal blues (see noise in the virtual forest of leaves). Also 1899 Hoffenheim and FC Barcelona as well as several English clubs had tried to get Beyaz, it was said last.
The fact that Beyaz is already described by the traditionally extremely enthusiastic football experts in his home country as the Turkish counterpart to world star Lionel Messi should not have primarily drawn the heavyweights’ attention to the only 1.71 meter tall left foot. Rather, Beyaz actually has a reputation for having special footballing qualities.
Technical extra class, high speed, good overview, a strong pull to the goal – Beyaz is “a very special player” who “can keep up with his age group in Europe”, enthused Fenerbahce sporting director Emre Belözoglu once. Quite a few fans of the 19-time Turkish champions dream of a midfield axis, consisting of the self-made and star newcomer Mesut Özil, who moved to Istanbul in January.
Ömer Beyaz träumt vom Ballon d’Or
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But despite the warm words of club icon Belözoglu, Beyaz is reportedly no longer comfortable on the Bosphorus. The main reason is the poor working times under coach Erol Bulut. He let Beyaz off the leash only three times this season, twice in the cup and once in the league, for a total of a measly 82 minutes.
An extension of his contract, which expired in the summer, was rejected by the young hopes, as Belözoglu has now confirmed. Beyaz is therefore free of charge after the season, which additionally fuels interest in himself. In any case, the teenager already has impressive ambitions. “My biggest goal is to win the Ballon d’Or,” he told Fenerbahce TV.
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