President of the Ghana Football Association Kurt Okraku says talks are ongoing between the FA and the family of Tariq Lamptey over a nationality switch.
The young defender has had a good time since he moved from Chelsea to join Brighton in the transfer window – grabbing the attention of German giants Bayern Munich.
Lamptey has represented England at various youth levels and has already set his sights on representing the Three Lions.
With the performance he has shown, he has fallen on Ghana’s radar and the FA president, Kurt Okraku, says he is ready to get him to play for the Black Stars.
“The national teams are for Ghanaians. It doesn’t mean only those who reside in Ghana alone but for every Ghanaian across the world, for which reason it will be suicidal for us not to search everywhere in the world to find the right talents for Ghana. If we find the talent and the coach is please we need to bring that talent,” Okraku said.
“We are working closely at every big talent you may have seen on your screens and those you have not. But we must also understand the atmosphere around some of those players. Some are classified.
“Someone like Tariq Lamptey, we have been speaking to his family to make sure that having identified him as a top talent, we will bring him to represent our county. In the same vein, other people are also talking to him and his family to represent another country.
“It doesn’t come so quick and easy. We are following every top Ghanaian talent you may have seen on your screens and those you may not have seen.
“I have not seen Jamie before but he’s coming for us to take a go at him from close range so we are leaving no stone unturned.
“We have immediate battles to win and then of the future and we need to take care of both battles. And the players the coach believes will represent our interest for the immediate battle are the ones he’s inviting.”
Lamptey was born in London to Ghanaian parents and is one of England’s most promising talents.
By Yaw Ofosu Larbi|3news.com|Ghana