Already preparing for the summer transfer window, Aston Villa sporting director Monchi reportedly sent scouts to watch one of his attacking targets in action last weekend.
Aston Villa's Turkish recruitment mission revealed
The Villans rarely seem to get things wrong in the transfer market these days, for the large part, they've got Monchi to thank for that. Their sporting director particularly excelled in the January window, welcoming both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford online whilst also signing Donyell Malen on a permanent deal from Borussia Dortmund.
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They could land an absolute bargain...
Unai Emery's side have only benefitted from that recruitment ever since too. As things stand, they've still got both the Champions League and FA Cup to play for and are set to battle until the very last to secure qualification for Europe's elite competition next season. But Monchi isn't resting there.
The likes of Dusan Vlahovic have already made the headlines regarding a potential summer switch to Villa Park and those in the Midlands certainly have the ambition to make such a move happen. Given that the Juventus star is also worth just £33m this summer, it wouldn't be absurd to suggest that Monchi could land a bargain deal, either.
Dusan Vlahovic in action with Genoa's Koni De Winter
Away from the Serie A star, meanwhile, the Villans have reportedly set their sights on another attacking target. According to The Boot Room, Monchi sent fresh scouts to watch Baris Alper Yilmaz last weekend as his Galatasaray side squared off against Besiktas in one of the biggest games that Turkish football has to offer.
Ultimately, Yilmaz ended the day on the losing side as Besiktas handed Galatasaray their first league defeat of the season, but that may not be enough to dissuade Villa from making their move this summer.
Despite a game to forget, the 24-year-old has still managed 11 goals in all competitions this season to attract the interest of Villa, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United.
"Special" Yilmaz could replace Rashford
Whilst Rashford's loan spell has so far been a great success, it still remains just that and it remains to be seen whether Villa will trigger their option to secure his signature on a permanent basis this summer. Instead, they could turn their attention towards the younger Yilmaz, who could prove to be just as successful under Emery.
Praised throughout his time in Turkey's top flight, former coach Ilker Puren told reporters when asked about Yilmaz: "I think Baris Alper Yılmaz can play very comfortably for many teams in the Premier League at the moment. He’s a very special player.
Galatasaray's Baris Alper Yilmaz and Ismail Jakobs celebrate after Victor Osimhen scores their third goal
"We worked a lot together. If Barıs Alper improves himself with his final ball, he can easily play for the best clubs in the world such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal."
In the last eight of the Champions League, Villa have been among those top clubs this season and could now make a statement by signing Yilmaz when the summer arrives.
He wasn't at his best as Galatasaray lost last weekend - recording just 0.10 expected goals and 0.06 expected assists - but Yilmaz is undoubtedly a player to watch in the coming months as Villa prepare their move.