Manchester United and Tottenham are among the teams keeping close tabs on Turkish defender Yusuf Akcicek, who is rated at €20 million by Fenerbahce.
According to Sabah via Sport Witness, Manchester United and Tottenham are keen on Turkish defender Yusuf Akcicek. The 19-year-old is seen as a future investment by those clubs, as his €20 million price tag may prove prohibitive in the current market.
Manchester United and Tottenham are two of the clubs that are expected to have a busy period around the last few days of the transfer window. The Red Devils are still intent on strengthening their midfield before the deadline, while Spurs are keen to sign a new attacking midfielder as well as a winger.
While those clubs are keeping themselves busy on priority areas, they are also focused on some future talents such as Fenerbahce defender Yusuf Akcicek. The young left-sided defender can play centrally as well as a wing-back on the right-hand side in a back three system.
That alone could have piqued Manchester United’s interest in the 19-year-old Turkish wonderkid, as Ruben Amorim looks to build a solid foundation for his system. Akcicek has had interest from many top clubs earlier in the year, and there are the likes of Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen keeping close tabs.
Tottenham were also interested when the season ended, and have maintained their attention on the player. They are also inching closer to sending Luka Vuskovic to Hamburg on loan, which would free up space in the squad to accommodate someone like Akcicek. Moreover, the 19-year-old Turkish star could also be seen as an alternative to Piero Hincapie, as Spurs have lost the race for the Ecuadorian to Arsenal.
Manchester United, Tottenham are unlikely to meet Fenerbahce’s demands
Jose Mourinho has seen the talent first-hand and used him in about 20 games across all competitions last season. His value for the club has increased exponentially over that period, and now Fenerbahce are reportedly demanding €20 million to sell him, as per the report.
Manchester United and Tottenham could view Akcicek’s signing as a good investment for the future, but in the current state, they may not pay the required fee. They have to focus their funds on key areas to improve the first team, and may feel that the 19-year-old staying at Fenerbahce and developing further would be a good move for all parties concerned. However, the defender is certainly one for the future.