The president of a Turkish club has claimed that Liverpool ‘want’ one of the nation’s stars of Euro 2024, with the player in question also being sought by a former Red.
LFC have reportedly begun working on a potential summer swoop for Baris Alper Yilmaz. The Galatasaray forward previously played for Ankara Keçiörengücü, who are entitled to a 20% sell-on fee of his next transfer.
Their chief Sedat Tahiroglu outlined that there’s definitely interest in the 24-year-old from Anfield, but also from Borussia Dortmund, who are now managed by our former midfielder Nuri Sahin.
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The Ankara club’s president told Aksam: “We have 20% of Baris Alper Yilmaz’s share but Galatasaray has not requested a meeting with us on this issue. I hear Liverpool and Arsenal want him but I know Nuri Sahin definitely wants him.”
Tahiroglu continued: “He can be sold for around €30m [£25.3m]. The path needs to be paved for young people for Turkish football. Hopefully he will make the decision that is good for him.
“The money is not important. The important thing is for Baris Alper to go to a team where he will be successful because he will be the face of Turkey.”
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Yilmaz was a standout player for Turkiye at Euro 2024, helping them to confound pre-tournament expectations by reaching the quarter-finals, where they were narrowly beaten by Netherlands.
The 24-year-old won the acclaim of Virgil van Dijk after that match, with the Liverpool captain speaking of how the Galatasaray attacker made life ‘very hard’ for the Dutch defence on the night (Milliyet).
The amount quoted by Tahiroglu corresponds with the asking price cited by other outlets, although the Istanbul club could hold out for a higher amount after the winger’s impressive displays on the European stage for his country (Milliyet).
Yilmaz would give Arne Slot an option on either flank, and the Reds could have him in mind to succeed Mo Salah on the right in the long-term, should they be able to entice him to Anfield.
It appears as if Liverpool could be locked in a battle with a Merseyside alumnus in Sahin for a player whose stock has risen substantially over the past month, and who can draw upon a ringing endorsement from an elite operator in Van Dijk.
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