West Ham transfer news: Slavia boss tips Nigerian wizkid Suleiman for Serie A move

Slavia Prague manager Jindřich Trpišovský has expressed confidence that Nigerian prospect Mubarak Suleiman has the talent to reach the top of the game, Afrik-Foot reports.

Trpišovský’s comments come even as Premier League side West Ham United have been linked with a move for the teen wonder.

West Ham may still be fighting to stay in the Premier League this season, but the club is already looking ahead to the future. One name now being mentioned around the London Stadium is highly-rated Nigerian youngster Mubarak Suleiman, and his manager at Slavia Prague, Jindřich Trpišovský, has now shared his thoughts on the player’s potential.

The Hammers boosted their survival hopes on Wednesday night with a narrow 1–0 win away at Fulham. The only goal of the game came from Crysensio Summerville, and the result has given the East London side fresh belief in their battle to remain in the top flight.

Despite the victory, West Ham still sit 18th in the table. However, they are now level on points with Nottingham Forest, meaning the fight to avoid relegation remains wide open.

While the club’s immediate focus is survival, reports suggest their recruitment team has already started looking at young talents who could strengthen the squad in the future.

According to Capital Football UK, one of those players is Nigerian winger Mubarak Suleiman.

West Ham have enjoyed strong success when signing players from the Czech Republic in the past. Czech international Vladimir Coufal and midfield powerhouse Tomas Soucek both moved from Slavia Prague to East London and became key players for the club. More recently, El Hadji Malick Diouf has also impressed after making the switch.

Because of that history, a move for Suleiman would follow a familiar pattern. The 18-year-old winger is currently developing in Slavia Prague’s academy and is already attracting attention thanks to his pace, creativity, and attacking instinct.

Trpišovský explains Suleiman’s potential

Slavia Prague manager Jindřich Trpišovský has now spoken publicly about the youngster’s future after the rumours linking him with West Ham began to circulate.

The experienced coach believes Suleiman is an exciting prospect, but he also made it clear that the Nigerian still needs time to grow and gain more senior experience.

“I think he has a bright future. Mubarak is a great prospect, but so far he’s only played three senior games. He showed his true mettle against Benfica in the Youth League. As of today, Transfermarkt values him at €50k, but I often wonder where he will be in two or three years.”

Trpišovský also compared the situation to his earlier assessment of Tomas Soucek, whom he once described as a player perfectly suited to English football.

However, the 50-year-old tactician is convinced that the Italian Serie A could be the ideal destination for a mature Suleiman.

“I always used to say that Souček was suited to the Premier League, and today I would say that Suleiman might be perfect for Italy.”

Although the manager believes Italian football could suit the youngster at this stage of his development, his comments also highlight the high level of confidence inside Slavia Prague about Suleiman’s future.

The Nigerian only signed a long-term contract with the Czech giants last summer after impressing scouts during a talent search in Nigeria. The teenager, who came through the respected Right2Win football programme, joined Slavia with a clear pathway towards the club’s first team.

The move was arranged by FIFA-licensed agent Daniel Smejkal, who has been instrumental in helping Nigerian talents move to the Czech Republic. He also facilitated the transfer of Samuel Isife to Slavia Prague and believes Suleiman has the qualities to succeed in Europe.

“Scouting in Nigeria is very important — the talent here is natural and competitive,” Smejkal said at the time. “Suleiman showed the qualities Slavia wanted: vision, maturity on the ball, and strong work rate. I believe he will adapt quickly and develop further in Prague.”

Suleiman has already begun to show that promise at youth level. The young attacker has scored five goals in six UEFA Youth League matches for Slavia Prague’s Under-19 side, performances that have quickly put him on the radar of clubs across Europe.