Galatasaray’s Famous Club Badge
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Aleksey Batrakov’s agent Vladimir Kuzmichev has responded to growing speculation linking the Galatasaray playmaker with Liverpool and the Premier League, acknowledging that English scouts may have been watching the 21-year-old in Istanbul while maintaining that any transfer talk remains premature.
Since completing a €25 million switch from Lokomotiv Moscow this summer, the Russian international has made an immediate impact for the Turkish champions, registering six goals and four assists in 13 appearances across the Süper Lig and UEFA Champions League.
His explosive form has reportedly attracted interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea—with claims emerging that Liverpool officials booked a hospitality box during Galatasaray’s Champions League clash against Stuttgart to monitor his progress.
Speaking to Russian outlet Match TV [as relayed by Fotomac], Kuzmichev addressed the reports of Liverpool’s presence in Istanbul, suggesting their trip may have covered multiple fixtures.
“Doesn’t it cross your mind that they might have been there to watch the Fenerbahçe match the following day?” Kuzmichev asked. “Perhaps they wanted to watch Aleksey at the same time. I don’t know why they came, though it’s possible they were there analyzing his game.”
Asked whether a move to the Premier League is realistic in the near future, Kuzmichev stopped short of ruling out future interest, instead pointing to the timeline of Batrakov’s recent arrival in Turkey.
“Let’s wait a bit. He has only spent three months at his new club, and we are already talking about other transfers.”
Batrakov remains under contract at RAMS Park until 2031, with Galatasaray reportedly keen to increase his current €55 million release clause to €100 million to protect their valuation amid mounting English scrutiny.