As West Ham United join Eintracht Frankfurt in pursuit of an exciting young midfielder, rival interest from the Bundesliga high-flyers feels like a pretty good omen.
After all, Frankfurt are one of the stand-out clubs in European football when it comes to spotting diamonds in the rough.
If Brighton and Hove Albion are the Premier League’s gem-polishing kingpins, then The Eagles can claim to be the Bundesliga’s answer to the club who gave Kaoru Mitoma, Alexis Mac Allister and co their chance in the spotlight.
Omar Marmoush, Randal Kolo Muani, Filip Kostic, Luka Jovic, Ante Rebic and PSG defender William Pacho all secured big-money moves to A-list clubs after graduating the Frankfurt finishing school.
West Ham United signed Sebastian Haller in a club-record deal back in 2019, meanwhile, after the silky Ivorian broke the 20-goal barrier at the Commerzbank Arena. Dino Toppmoller’s Champions League-bound outfit are showing no signs of slowing down either.
Hugo Ekitike is on West Ham’s radar, reportedly, while The Hammers have watched flying wideman Nathaniel Brown in action too.
But, with Mario Stroeykens now on the radar of both clubs, could West Ham cut out the middle man by bringing the Anderlecht dynamo directly to the London Stadium, skipping that well-travelled Bundesliga stepping stone in the process?
West Ham United in for Anderlecht star Mario Stroeykens
According to Belgian publication La Dierne Heure, West Ham have enquired about the availability of Anderlecht starlet Stroeykens. Marseille have been watching the Belgium Under-21 international for some time, while his progress has not gone unnoticed at Frankfurt either.
Still only 20 years of age, Stroeykens is the latest exciting graduate from the feted Anderlecht academy. He follows in the footsteps of such luminaries as Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans, Jeremy Doku, Bilal El Khannouss and Sevilla talisman Dodi Lukebakio.
And, with only one year left on his contract, Anderlecht realistically have to cash in now or risk losing their prized asset for nothing 12 months down the line.
Per Het Belang van Limburg, the Belgian giants have offered Stroeykens a new deal. If he does not accept, a bid of £17 million may be enough to secure his services.
The Belgium youngster has been likened to Aston Villa ace Youri Tielemans
Scorer of four goals and provider of six assists this season, Stroeykens has been a standout performer for an Anderlecht team sitting 17 points behind runaway leaders KRC Genk.
Marc Wilmots, the man who led Belgium into the 2014 World Cup, labels Stroeykens the ‘best player’ in Anderlecht’s midfield. Without him, he says, RSCA simply lack the ‘spark’ and the dynamism to drive up the field.
“I am a very big fan”, Anderlecht fan and pundit Sam Kerkhofs told Extra Time.
“He has a lot of vision and an enormously wide range of qualities. Stroeykens is also strong and you can’t get him off the ball.”
Het Laatste Nieuws sees similarities between Stroeykens and a young Youri Tielemans; The former Anderlecht captain who has blossomed into one of the most consistent midfielders in Europe under Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
“Stroeykens is a cocktail of the many conditions that a modern footballer must meet,” they wrote. “Technique, running ability, intensity, explosiveness…”
Given that West Ham’s current midfield options appear light on both energy and creativity – Carlos Soler, Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez and Lucas Paqueta could all depart over the summer as well – Stroeykens could be the first step towards a renewal of Graham Potter’s rusting engine.
“If I go to AC Milan tomorrow, Mario Stroeykens is the first one I’ll take with me,” former Anderlecht coach and now Denmark boss Brian Riemer once said, having initially utilised a teenage Stroeykens up top before his evolution into an all-action midfielder.
“He’s fit, he’s technical, and he’s a midfielder who provides goals and assists. A Bayern Munich-type.”
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