Talent hunt turns feeding frenzy

Battle to sign French phenom highlights perils

PARIS - The money men began sniffing around Hannibal Mejbri when he was just 9 years old - it was "way too soon" complains his father, who was fielding dozens of phone calls and pitchside advances as word of his son's potential spread.

The boy from the French capital rapidly attracted interest as scouts flocked to see if they had unearthed a hot prospect like Kylian Mbappe, the 18-year-old set to become the world's most expensive teenager when his loan move to Paris Saint-Germain is finalized next year.