The Japan international could be on his way to England before the close of the transfer window
West Ham and Newcastle are interested in signing Yoshinori Muto, according to reports.
Muto, the Mainz forward, is entering his fifth season in German football, first arriving in the Bundesliga from FC Tokyo in 2015.
Muto has impressed in his three years at Mainz
He’s netted 20 league goals in that time, and the 26-year-old was part of the Japan side that caught the eye at the recent World Cup.
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Muto has yet to report back to pre-season training, with his extended holiday running until Friday, but Bild say he may not return to the Opel Arena club.
West Ham and Newcastle are named as holding an interest in Muto, and Mainz are seriously considering whether to sell the forward.
Muto was part of the Japan squad at the recent World Cup
He has a contract that runs until next summer, and is valued at around £18million (€20m) by Mainz. As Muto cost just £2.5million when bought from Tokyo in 2015, the Bungesliga outfit are aware they can make a huge profit on the player this summer, or risk losing him for free this time next year.
