Sunderland have swooped for a teenager dubbed the "new Jaap Stam" - Dutch-born defender Baki Mercimek, writes JACK LESLIE.

Mercimek, 18, yesterday completed a Bosman-deal move from HFC Haarlem by signing a five-year contract with the Black Cats.

He said: "I think the Premiership will suit my style. This is a big chance for me and I'm excited."

Central defender Mercimek is seen as a star of the future. He has been compared with Manchester United's Stam because he is strong, comfortable on the ball and has excellent technique.

The youngster spent six years at the Ajax Youth Academy and caught Sunderland's eye during a trial last season.

He's confident enough to aim for a first-team spot next season despite competition from Jody Craddock, Stanislav Varga and Emerson Thome.

He said: "Ajax is one of the best places to learn your trade.

"I spent a week at Sunderland and Peter Reid saw something he liked because he asked me back. I like the English style and it's my ambition to be involved with the first-team."

Mercimek, who is eligible to play for Holland and Turkey, is the second player to join Sunderland this summer following the £3.5m move for Argentinian winger Nicholas Medina.

Reid is expected to pounce next week for Bordeaux's £3m French striker Lilian Laslandes, but Milton Nunez's unhappy 15-month stay on Wearside has come to an end after the Honduran striker was omitted from Sunderland's retained list, which was released yesterday.

The name of on-loan French fullback Patrice Carteron was also missing because Reid has yet to decide whether to sign the St Etienne defender on a permanent basis.

All the club's other squad players have been retained.

l Newcastle boss Bobby Robson is prepared to turn to West Brom's £7m hitman Lee Hughes after being snubbed in the £8m chase for Everton striker Francis Jeffers.

Robson will attempt to get Jeffers to change his mind when he returns from holiday next week. But the England Under-21 forward seems unwilling to even talk to Newcastle because he's holding out for a move to Arsenal, who have so far failed to match Newcastle's £8m bid.

Robson can't afford to wait and is likely to switch his striker search to Hughes as he hunts for a partner for Carl Cort and Alan Shearer.