North London and Premier League rivals Arsenal and Spurs are both looking at the so-called Turkish Messi starring at Trabzonspor.
There have been countless ‘new Messis’ over the years but it is fair to say not one has come anywhere close to the mercurial Argentine.
So time will tell whether comparisons to arguably the greatest footballer of all time prove to be a help or a hindrance to 18-year-old Turkish wonderkid Abdulkadir Omur (above, far right).
The Trabzonspor teenager is renowned for his mesmeric dribbling ability, his penchant for gliding past opponents with the grace of a figure skater and, of course, his wand of a left foot, just like the Barcelona number 10.
And according to Turkish Football, it is this outstanding ability which has North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham fighting it out for his signature. Though Omur will not be going anywhere on the cheap.
Trabzonspor have put a £22 million price tag on the youngster’s head, which would make an offer from Spurs a real statement.
It is rare that Spurs pay huge money for players, preferring instead to strike bargain deals for rising talents like Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Dele Alli (below). All three were highly-rated and promising when arriving at White Hart Lane but cost less than £15 million.
But after just 22 league appearences, 13 of them starts, it would certainly raise eyebrows if Spurs were to make Omur the sixth most expensive signing in their history, just £1 million shy of the fee they paid PSG for established Brazil international Lucas Moura last month.
Then again, Spurs’ rise up the Premier League has been inspired by the remarkable developments made by the club’s raft of exciting young talent. If Omur is worth £22 million now, just imagine how much he would cost after a year or two under Mauricio Pochettino’s wing.
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