Barış Alper Yılmaz
In January, Sport Witness covered Bournemouth’s interest in Galatasaray Barış Alper Yılmaz. Now, the Turkey interest could finally get a big move to the Premier League and Chelsea may be his next destination.
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa were also previously keen on the striker but pressure from Gala has always proved influential.
So far this season, the 25-year-old has six goals and ten assists in the Turkish top-flight, keeping his consistency going. He has three goal contributions in the Champions League.
Details are now emerging about a possible summer switch to Chelsea.
Blues in the mix for signing
Turkish outlet Haber Sarikirmizi report that Juventus have been particularly interested in the striker. He caught their eye in the two Champions League playoff legs, with Giorgio Chiellini having signalled his interest in the player.
In total, Yılmaz has as many as four suitors from the top five European leagues. Chelsea are in the race, with the Blues aiming to land him in the summer transfer window.
The Blus have sought advice from Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella about the forward and he remains a target.
As of now, Gala’s asking price stands at €45m to €50m, with a club from Germany also interested.
Yilmaz could be worth the money
The versatile attacker has now been at Gala for five seasons now. In all competitions, he has featured in 192 times, scoring 34 times and assisting 33 times. His prominence has grown in the last two seasons, contributing to 31 league goals.
Increasingly, he has also become a key player for Turkey, playing 31 times for the national team.
Gala are usually a difficult club to negotiate with but Yilmaz’s current contract runs out in 2028. This can help Chelsea land the player in the summer. After about two years of talk around the Premier League, Yilmaz can finally get a major transfer.