Liverpool
Arsenal and Liverpool have both sent scouts to watch Galatasaray attacking midfielder Aleksey Batrakov, according to the latest transfer news. The 21-year-old has made a fast start in Turkey, and his contract gives suitors a set exit price.
Aleksey Batrakov impresses scouts in Lille win
Both clubs sent observers to France on Wednesday to watch the young midfielder in a Champions League match. As reported by CaughtOffside, they saw him head home an equaliser in Galatasaray’s 4-2 win at Lille. His header made it 2-2 before the break, and his pass later started the move for Victor Osimhen’s goal. The win gave Galatasaray their first points of the league phase after two opening defeats. The goal was his second in eight days, after one against Barcelona, and he has two assists this season.
Aleksey Batrakov joined the Turkish champions from Lokomotiv Moscow in August for €25m, becoming their first Russian player. Galatasaray had been chasing a creative number ten for some time, and he signed a five-year contract in Istanbul. He broke into Russian football quickly, earning a first Russia call-up in 2024 and scoring on his debut. Last season he scored 17 goals and set up 12 more in 36 matches for Lokomotiv. That works out at roughly 0.8 goals or assists per match, including 13 goals and nine assists in the league.
Batrakov’s 2026/27 stats for Galatasaray so far, as per FOTMOB:
Competition Matches Goals Assists Chances created Duels won(%)
Super Lig 6 0 2 13 53.8%
Champions League 3 2 0 3 37.5%
Release clause sets the price for Batrakov’s suitors
Batrakov’s contract contains a release clause worth an estimated £50m for clubs in four leagues. Those leagues are England, Spain, Italy and Germany, so a Premier League club could pay that set fee. That figure is more than double the €25m Galatasaray paid, and Lokomotiv would take 15% of any resale profit. Galatasaray have no plans to sell for now, since they are happy with how he has performed this season. The fixed price gives rivals a clear target, so the club’s wish to keep him may count for less.
His route to Turkey also matters, because UK sanctions over the war in Ukraine restrict direct deals with Russian clubs. Now that he plays for a Turkish club, English sides can deal with Galatasaray without that restriction. That change makes any serious pursuit far simpler, although £50m is still a steep price for a recent arrival.
Liverpool
How Batrakov could fit Arsenal or Liverpool
His shooting stands out, with 73 attempts in 28 Russian league starts, or roughly 2.6 per start. Roughly one in six of those attempts ended in a goal, which suggests he picks his shots well. His goal against Barcelona came from just outside the box, which shows he can score from range in Europe. The open question is his work without the ball, as his output so far says little about pressing or tackling. English football also rewards midfielders who press and recover the ball, so that gap in his record matters.
Arsenal and Liverpool will face competition, since Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have also tracked him. Paris Saint-Germain monitored him this summer but prioritised deals for Ferran Torres and Maghnes Akliouche. His Galatasaray salary is a net €3.25m a year, so wages should not be the main obstacle. The next chance to watch him in Europe is Galatasaray’s home game against Stuttgart on 3 November. Neither club appears to have made a formal approach yet, and January is the first window to do so.
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